


Wish Upon a Star

by Chaotic_Dawn



Category: Kingdom Hearts
Genre: F/M, Genderbending
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-01-05
Updated: 2015-02-20
Packaged: 2018-03-05 12:31:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 29,451
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3120287
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Chaotic_Dawn/pseuds/Chaotic_Dawn
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sam had always lived a normal life in Twilight Town, that all changes when he gets saved one day by Terra. Inspired, Sam does everything in his power to become a Keyblade wielder including making a wish upon a star.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

The large city of Twilight Town is rather quiet despite it's vast size. Most of the time all that can be heard is the blaring of trains or the shouts of kids as they practice Struggle. All in all, it's a peaceful city with little going on aside from normal, everyday life.

And the pace of life recedes to an even slower, comfortable speed. It's a small area at the end of Market Street and nestled between the residential areas and the schools is a vast library. Despite being so closed to a school, the threat of summer leaves its doors closed tightly and its inside vacant. 

That is, except for one young man at the ripe age of twenty-two. He works part time to take care of this library and doesn't find it such a heavy burden. After all he's a scholar and enjoys being surrounded by the very things that make him who he is. His life is quiet and gentle but at the same time leaves him rather lonely. Even still he deeply cherishes the friends that do stay with him through this calm life.

Sam drums his fingers against the desk while leaning his head on his other hand. The glasses on his nose inch downward but he pays them no mind. His eyes are glued to the clock on the desk – staring intently at the numbers. No one has come in today, much like yesterday and the day before that. And he told himself if no one came in by the time the hour is up, he goes home early. 

Slouching against the desk he's almost tempted to fall asleep right there. A yawn parts his lips and he stops tapping his fingers to rub at his chin and the light beard growing there. Just as his eyes readjust and gaze over the clock, he snaps up out of his chair. It grates against the floor as he stands up and finishes locking up the drawers.

The key ring jingles from his fingers as he moves straight for the door. A second later has him standing outside and locking the large double doors. A rough breeze skirts around him, making his shaggy black hair ruffle about his face. Something about it makes him slowly turn around. He looks wistfully up to the setting sun – just like every other day. Yet somehow it all feels different.

A feeling of foreboding curls up in the pit of his stomach and he can do nothing to shake it. Sam can only grasp at the keys and then slip his hands into the pockets of his navy pants. His white, button up shirt is neatly tucked into them, billowing slightly around the belt that slips through the loops of his pants. The top few buttons are left undone and the collar is pressed down. Over that he wears a light jacket, something so dark blue its almost black.

The hood bounces slightly as he begins downhill. The walk home is something he rather enjoys. To the point where he zones out to a safe degree and lets his mind wander with all he's learned that day and from what books. Except today he can't. There's something that nips at him, keeping him on edge no matter how hard he tries to ignore. 

“Tch, maybe I do need to sleep.” he mumbles to himself, trying to comfort the fear that threatens to grasp at him. 

Sam continues onward to the main road that winds through Market Street. Teens and shop owners gravitate here and he doesn't pay them much mind. And in return they only spare him a glance. He tends to be a bit blunt and he's sure he's offended someone in some way – if not more than one person. Regardless, he quickly makes his way to the Central Station.

Although as he stands up on the hill, he looks over his shoulder towards Tram Common and hesitates. The shadows the buildings cast seem to move and it has him taking a shaky step toward the train station. He stares at the blackness and watches as no one else seems to take notice of how they quiver. Instinctively he dubs it bad news and whether he's really seeing it or not – he's not staying around to find out. 

The heels of his dark shoes scoff over the stone as he strides into Station Plaza. Sam draws up his right hand and rubs at his eyes. Just as he does, the deep striking echo of the clock above makes his whole body vibrate. The noise is loud yet soothing as it chimes the hour. 

“Just on time,” he comments as he looks up. He'll be able to get right on the train and be home before his stomach can even crave dinner.

Sam strides towards the steps leading to the doors. And instantly stops at the sit of an inky black puddle on them. Taken by surprise, he stumbles back with a small cry and nearly topples backward as the puddle seems to take shape.

Rising from it is a humanoid shape – although even that is pushing it. The large spherical head sports two glowing yellow eyes and long, twisted antennae. The tiny hands have three claws on each while its feet are large and are only one shape. 

And to Sam, it's darker than the dark. Something he's only grazed over in old textbooks and stories of old. Never has he actually seen this creature – a Shadow. All he can remember are the older folks about Twilight Town speaking of these creatures that lack hearts and have thus been dubbed Heartless.

But that's not what worries – scares – him. It's that those same people mentioned that they can only be defeated by a special person and the weapon they bring along. To which he never was able to pry the name from their memories. And right now he wishes he could send an emergency call straight to one of them. 

Sam takes a step back only to have his skin crawl. His shoe slides through the inky black and he quickly steps forward, only for it to slip away. It stops closer to the Shadow on the stairs and forms a second one. At this point, Sam knows he has no choice. He's certainly no one that can defeat them and even if he could, he's not sure how strong they even are. Especially to his average self – in every way. 

He gets a half-spin and goes to run back the way he came. Only to stop dead.

The two Heartless before him are very different than the rather harmless looking Shadows on the steps. These are quite a bit larger than the Shadows and have the appearance of a knight even. Even from a distance their lean bodies clad in a blue-black suit show the muscles it contains. A large emblem of red and black – almost like heart – resides over their torsos. Silver trims their black shoes and wristbands. As well as the helm that sports two eye-like spirals and a curled plume.

Sam looks closer and his heart nearly stops. Inside the helmet are the same yellow eyes and what appears to be a toothy maw. It has him stumbling back in fear, “H-Help!” 

But he doesn't get anywhere fast. He trips over his own two feet and lands hard on his rear. Wincing in pain, he notices that quartet of Heartless begin to close in on him with an unmistakable curiosity. Sam's shoulders tremble slightly as his eyes widen. He backs up, not even bothering to stand, even though he knows the wall that surrounds the area is his death sentence. 

His tongue is lead in his mouth and he can't bring it to form words – the ones that want to desperately rip from his throat. He watches the Soldier's claws open and close and that head bob slightly as it walks. The Shadows to his right slip closer, as if they're skating across the surface. And he doesn't know what to do. He can only stare – unable to even close his eyes – as his doom becomes within four steps of him. 

Focused on the Heartless closing in on him and his heart beating loud in his ears, he doesn't notice the doors to the train station swinging open. From the corner of his eye he catches the glitter of light as a man yells out toward him, “Get back!”

The man barrels through the Shadows with a single swing of his mighty blade. It's larger and appears much heavier than anything Sam has ever seen before. The blade itself is long and ends in square teeth protruding from both sides. The guard, which covers his hand, and fans out to look like pointed wings.

Slashing in a wide arc, the teeth of the blade slam into the side of one Soldier. As he continues to the swing, the second Soldier gets caught in the attack and they're both sent hurling towards the edge of the plaza. Sam can only watch in amazement as the Heartless vanish in puffs of black smoke. 

The second they're gone, Sam feels as though he can finally breath. Yet at the same time his words are still stolen from him. The slight wind the man's attack created as the tan, billows pants ruffling about his legs. Holding them up with a gray belt with a gold emblem attached to the front. His black, high-collared shirt clings to his muscles and past his shoulders. While the red straps crossing over his loop low near his pants. 

But what really catches Sam's eyes is the armor he dons on forearm. Over the black fingerless glove on his left hand is the metal gauntlet of segmented armor. Actually, they match the armored boots he wears as well. Regardless, the grin of accomplishment adorning the tall man's face is enough to share the joy with Sam even from the distance. As the man turns around, he extends Sam his hand. 

It's the one moment where those sparkling sapphire eyes meet Sam's. Not knowing what else he can do, Sam takes the offered hand and allows his savior to pull him to his feet. Once he's righted he brushes his hands over himself while sneaking glances at the large key-like sword.

“Are you alright?”

“Yeah, yeah I'm fine. About to get mauled by big-headed rats is nothing compared to what I do tomorrow.”

The man shakes his head, suppressing a chuckle. He certainly hadn't expected that reaction. Everyone else is either too curious or beyond afraid to speak. Sam straightens up and stuffs his hands into his pockets. “Who are you anyway?”

“Terra, I'm... I just happened to be passing by.”

“Uh-huh, I'm sure you are.” He eyes this 'Terra'. And although he doesn't let it show, the excitement is almost uncontainable. “How did you kill those things?” he asks while pointing toward Terra's weapon. 

Terra looks a little unsure and the way he seems to hold back tells Sam he has to be what he's heard about. “It's my personal weapon. Only I can use it.”

Sam's eyes trail along it and it only takes a minute – he's not a fool, but at the same time he's not sure if the simply phrase is correct. The word tumbles from his lips before he realizes he said it out loud.

“Keyblade...”

Terra's eyes widen and Sam knows he hit the nail on the head, although he hadn't meant to. And Terra sees that he's not just a citizen, that he's far smarter than what meets the eye. Refusing to say another word, while at the same time telling Sam he's right, Terra turns away. “I have to go. Be careful from now on.”

The sound of a train makes Sam turn away. He can't be late or he'll have to wait for the next one. Moving straight for the stairs he watches as Terra moves toward Market Street. The glass doors to the station shield Sam from the outside and as he waits for the man at the counter to process his tickets, he glances back through the glass.

It's then that he sees that Terra hadn't actually walked very far away. That he's not going anywhere that's accessible here. Sam's eyes stay glued to Terra's frame as he raises his Keyblade and his the top of the armor with his other hand. 

The wind ruffles around Terra as his sword transforms from blade to some sort of metal glider. Short, brunet hair beats against his face and the messy, spikes sway. Sam's eyes widen as he finally notices that Terra himself isn't dressed the same. Instead he's clad in bronze, crimson and deep golden armor with a matching helmet. 

“Sam, your ticket.”

He turns back to the man behind the counter and hurriedly grabs for the piece of paper. Glancing over his shoulder, he's almost disappointed he missed it. Terra is no where to be seen and Sam can only sigh blissfully. His ordinary life had just been touched by something more than amazing. And he can barely wrap his mind around it. Sam quickly makes his way to the train and slips inside, settling on a seat near the back. 

There's few other people on board. A few older ladies, a businessman and a couple teenagers. It makes it easy for Sam, sitting far from any of them, to zone out for the short ride home to the quaint area of Twilight Town - Sunset Terrace. Time slips by within the blink of an eye, but for Sam it's a century. Even as he finds himself ambling off the platform and down the steps, he's lost in thought. His feet take him home on autopilot while his mind runs in circles. 

Part of him wants that life. The ability to soar through the cosmos and charge through monsters with a fierce determination. The desire to be a Keyblade wielder wraps around his heart and nestles in for the long haul. The excitement of that kind of life has his heart aching. And he knows after today, tomorrow will be boring in comparison. 

Coming out of his thoughts, Sam stands inside his little one bedroom apartment. The living area melds with the kitchen, but the small feeling is usually bearable. However, as Sam moves straight for the his room he sees just how tiny and suffocating it is. That out of this large town – he's smothering under ordinary everything. 

He kicks his shoes off once in his room and moves straight for the window on the opposite side. The sheer white curtain is pinned to the side, where he had left it this morning. As he goes over to shut the curtain so he can get changed, something catches his eyes. 

The glittering of a shooting star has his eyes locked on the dark sky stretching out above him. Sam holds his breath and he can't stop his thoughts from becoming a gentle whisper. A whisper that has him wishing for that life – the adventurous and heroic life of a Keyblade Wielder.

As the star disappears across the sky, he settles back on the bed. His gaze drifts over the bedside table and he notices the old tome he had borrowed from the very library he works at. The one of legends and myths – including ones about Heartless and the mighty warriors that hunt after them. Before he can even think it, he's reaching for the heavy, leather-bound book.

Sam settles against the pillow, intending to only read for a moment, and opens it up to where he left off. The words drag him in and before he knows it, he's dozing off and slumping against the wall and pillows. The book remains in his grasp even as his eyes close. 

Little does Sam know, his wish is already beginning to take life. And his whole life is changing, warping into something he won't recognize. For as the moon tucks away behind the thin veil of clouds, he flops down onto the bed – book still in his lap. He pants softly as his body grows hot but even still, he doesn't wake up.


	2. Chapter 2

The warmth of the light streams in through the window, making Sam's eyes twitch. The sun beckons him to wake up and as his mind begins to come around, he can already feel the ache of his body warning him to move slowly. Every inch of his being hurts as if he had laid on a bed of rocks. Jagged rocks that is.

He pinches his eyes tight as the morning begs for him to get up. But even as he slowly flutters his eyes open, he feels that something is off. That there's a strange air about the room that has him more cautious than ever. It reminds him of the other day when encountering Heartless for the first time. That foreboding sense that worms around him and crawls over his skin.

A chill passes through him and makes his body quiver slightly as he sits up. Sam stands up on wobbly legs, pushing himself off the bed with a rough motion. As he does, the book that had been on his lap hits the floor with a loud thud. The sound only shocks him wide awake – eyes the size of dinner plates as he glances about the room.

Until he remembers he was reading last night when he fell asleep. Sam draws his hand up again and rubs at his eyes with a yawn to follow soon after. The second the slightly higher pitch sound leaves him, he drops his hands. Blinking several times, he tries to right it off as just waking up or it was a yawn. After all, sound is different when you hear it yourself.

Even though he's not convinced. He could have sworn the yawn sounded....feminine. Nonetheless, Sam leans over to pick up the book. Or that's what he intended. He freezes the second his fingers graze the cover.

Long, red strands fall about his face like raging fire. He stares at it, trying desperately to find where it came from. “What the...” Slowly, Sam straights back up – the book forgotten. He grasps at the hair in his hands and tugs at it, realizing with a sharp pain that it's his own. Instantly, his blood runs cold and his heart beats loud in his ears. He's surprised he's even breathing right now.

Sam looks down at himself and lets go of the hair immediately. He's not exactly himself anymore. Gone is the lean, twenty-two year old man and in his place is a slender young woman. Like any woman in her twenties, Sam has two amble mounds beneath his shirt – which seems a little baggier than normal, even with the addition.

She stares down at herself. Everything is different and as she can't look away, she can still feel the tingles on her skin. Tingles of what can only be some form of magic. She shakes her head, which sends those fiery strands flaring out about her shoulders in the process.

“Th...This has to be-”

The sentence dies as she hears her own voice and how much it differentiates for her original. Beyond scared, she draws up a hand and pushes back the left sleeve of her jacket. The right hand hovers over her slim arm and she takes a deep breath. She closes her eyes, clenching them as tight together as physically possible. Holding the air, she pinches at her bare arm as hard as she can muster.

“Ow! Ow, ow, ow, ow....”

Sam drops back down onto the bed, slouched over as she gazes at her own hands. The thought hits her as her pants, now quite loose, bunch up around her legs. Tentatively, she spreads them ever so slightly and slips one hand inside. Followed soon after by that same hand slinging back out.

Bringing her hands up to her face, she holds them their while flopping onto the bed. To which she quickly pulls them away as they press against glasses. They're so thin and light that she hadn't even felt them there. Her hair fans out around her as she groans. “This can't be happening. Why now?”

The blaring sound of an alarm ricochets throughout the room and has her bolting back up. She immediately rolls to the side and slams her hand down on the clock. That's when it hits her. She has a shift at the library. The library has books. And those books might have a clue to whatever has happened to her. She jumps off the bed and rushes to her dresser, flinging the drawers open in search of something to wear. Groaning once more, she moves quickly about the room towards the closet.

Several frustrating moments later, she huffs and runs a hand up through her bangs. Finding clothes had never been more frustrating than just now; from underwear to just a pair of socks. Unfortunately, the change has left her without any clothes that will properly fit or even ones that come close.

Therefore she grabs at a gray, zip-up vest and slips it on over the long-sleeved white shirt – trying to hide the fact that it's the only layer covering her chest. She sighs softly and double checks the belt tightly wound about the waist of her dark blue pants. They're rolled up at the bottoms and even still they threaten to slide down and cover her feet. In fact, she couldn't fit into her old shoes either and had to dig out a pair of sandals that had gotten too small.

She flips the hair away from her face and bolts out the door. The sooner she can get there the better. In fact, the back alleys she deems safer so that she doesn't get any questionable stairs. After all, most people in Twilight Town know each other or know _of_ each other.

As she practically jogs through the winding way, she lets her mind shoot off possibilities. She tries to think of anything that could have triggered this...  _this_ . The Heartless never touched her and she's sure that wouldn't be a side effect from being attacked of any kind. A the thought of Heartless vanishes, she's left with the memory of Terra. She softly shakes her head. There's no way she can believe he did this. There's no rhyme or reason for it. The only other thing would be....

The shooting star.

It's as if a thousand light bulbs explode inside of her head. That's the only thing it  _could_ be. But at the same time she tells herself that, that is absolutely ridiculous. Then again, she hadn't thought she'd see a man fly off into the sky and disappear either.

She turns a corner and snaps out of her thoughts only to realize she had taken more than one wrong turn on the way to the library. She walks forward a little more than glances to the other two exits. If glasses didn't adorn her face she'd probably smack herself for being so wrapped up in her thoughts. Never in her time of living here has she gotten lost like this. Nor has she found herself in the Sandlot for no reason.

In fact, she tries to avoid the Struggle matches altogether. Which is exactly why she doesn't recognize the trio that marches toward her. The tallest and burliest of the group is a tanned teenager with short, black hair and sideburns. Despite his youth, he's considerably taller than most and very muscular. Over these muscles he dons an orange tank top, dark baggy sweatpants and sneakers. The tank top sports two thunderbolts near the arms and there's a number eight on his pants.

Besides him is a girl, seeming much smaller than she actually she while standing beside him. She wears a blue sleeveless jacket and beige pants; pockets donning the right thigh and lower left leg. Her slip-on shoes, however, are the same color as her hair. Her hair is a pale steel blue that is cropped about her jaw with long bangs crossing over her left eye. The one eye that can be seen is a dark reddish brown.

Although, without doubt, Sam knows that the third addition is the leader. He dons a knit cap with white markings on it. He's not as muscular as the other male, but he's toned quite a bit. He wears a blue vest under a floor-length, white jacket. The jacket, however, lacks sleeves and has red crosses on it. Additionally he has baggy, aubergine colored pants that tuck into his black combat boots. He glares at Sam with teal eyes on either side of a scar running diagonally over his face.

“Hey you!” his sharp voice makes Sam stop in her steps. She watches as they draw ever closer while they talk amongst themselves. “Fuu, Rai,” He glances from girl to boy, “Do you know her?”

“I don't know her, Seifer. She must be new, ya know?” Rai responds.

The girl's eyes narrow, although not in a necessarily angry manner. “Unknown.”

Sam glances between them as Seifer crosses his arms over his chest. “So who are you? And what are you doing in my city?”

“Huh... That's funny. I don't remember voting for you to be mayor.”

Seifer's eye twitches and he goes to take a step forward when a strange sound pierces the air. “Enemies!” declares Fuu.

Sam's eyes widen as the same Heartless from that day appear all around them. This time there's so many more than before; totaling up to at least a dozen or more. But the see of black, blue and piercing yellow all seem to blend together as Sam's eyes widen. Seifer and Rai on the other hand are far less stunned. Despite the obvious uncertainty on their features, the two young men step in front of the Sam and Fuu. Although the latter does fall into a defensive stance.

“Stop! You can't fight them!” she yells at the trio, trying to stop them before they do something stupid.

Just as the words leave her lips all she can feel is the tingle spreading throughout her body. Not even a second later it gathers in her right hand. She glances down just in time to see her fingers curl and a flash of light surround her arm. As it dies down she finds herself beyond shocked.

It looks just like Terra's. Not exactly, but it's definitely a Keyblade. Better yet, she knows it's all her own. The blade is slender unlike Terra's. The guard is rounded, yet still boxy and black. The grip is a stark red, matching her hair. The shaft starts out black near the hilt and fades to white as it nears the teeth. The square, yet still like arrowheads, teeth slowly transition from the pale ivory of the shaft to a deep gold at the tips. The plain silver chain dangles next to Sam's leg and upon closure inspection she can see the token attached to the end. It's a plain, dark colored little tome. The affection name for it reaches out for her; Spellbook.

_'I want to be like that. I want a life full of adventure just like this. I want to be a Keyblade wielder.'_

The wish she made not even twenty-four hours resounds in her head like an echo in a cave. It makes her realizes exactly what she has to do. She can't stand idly by with these creatures surrounding her, especially with bystanders near her as well. She knows she has to fight.

Sam shoves past all three of them and runs straight towards two Soldiers wobbling back and forth. “Agh!” she grunts as she slams the backside of her Keyblade against the side of the one on the left, which forces it to slam into the one beside it.

The three friends behind her hesitate but after a hushed word from Seifer, they're bolting past Sam and through the opening she made. They don't stop once they get out of the surrounding Heartless, but instead keep going till they're out of the Sandlot entirely.

Sam, on the other hand, doesn't worry about them at all. She spins around on her heel and almost falls down. She can't stay balanced while wearing shoes that are larger than her feet. To stay upright she throws her whole body into the swing. Spellbook hurls into a Shadow. Vanishing in a puff of smoke, Sam turns her attention to the next one.

Adrenaline surges through her veins and fear alone is no longer there. Her wish has been filled after all. She has what she wants – even if it's a little contorted from what she had thought would happen. Her muscles burn from use as she plants both feet on the ground, glancing at all the ones are left.

It looked fun, but this is serious. Especially with them lunging towards her. She drops to her knees and rolls. Sam jumps back up to her feet and takes a deep breath. Running forward, she slashes forward. The attack clears out the ones in front of her – but doesn't quite destroy them.

Hopping backwards, she blocks and parries. Another Shadow vanishes with a puff of smoke. A Soldier spins towards her and she can't turn around fast enough to see him. Just as he gets close, the end of a Keyblade slams into him like a mallet – destroying him.

The owner of the Keyblade stands up, rolling her shoulders as she falls into a stance with her back to Sam's. Neither say a word and Sam can barely spare a glance to her new ally, who launches straight into the battle. The girl surges through enemies quicker than Sam can think of at the moment. It particularly reminds her of Terra.

But Sam doesn't let her thoughts muddle her actions. She sets them aside for later and sidesteps before slashing at a Soldier. The clang of metal against Heartless along with the soft grunts and cries of the young women are all that can be heard. In a few moments, even that is replaced by a heavy silence.

Sam flicks her hair away from her face with her free hand, huffing at the workout. She's not greeted a moment of peace as the newcomer strides straight for her. “You've got to be more careful. Getting surrounded can mean game over.”

A short laugh flickers over Sam's lips, “I can handle it. Besides, you showed up to help. Everything worked out.”

“Ah, got'cha. Well Ms. Optimist, my name is Luma.” The girl comes to a stop in front of Sam and extends a hand clad in a brown, fingerless glove.

Finally able to get a good look at the girl, Sam takes it all in. After all the only other Keyblade wielder she knows is Terra. Her dark blue-green hair falls freely to her shoulders while her bangs sweep to the right, away from the small braid framing the left side of her face. She's a slender girl and shorter than Sam as well. She dons a sleeveless, violet jacket with a collar that flares outward. Three silver buttons keep it together just under her chest before it flares out down to her knees.

Most of her sun-kissed skin shows between her jacket and baggy, brown shorts. Unlike Terra, her shoes are even plainer in appearance. They look like normal brown like her shorts with a curl of violet accenting the heel. But the smile on her face is what Sam ends up on last.

Cautiously, she extends her left hand. “Sam.”

“So Sam...” She begins as she takes a step back, glancing around before she finally points to Sam's Keyblade. “Who's your Master?”

“Master?”

“Yeah, which Master do you train under?”

“I... don't have one. Self-trained.”

“No Master? Hm... Well that's weird. But not unheard of I guess.” Luma gives an encouraging smile. “Why don't you come back with me. I'll introduce you to mine.”

Sam glances down to her Keyblade, watching as it vanishes from her grip. She knows deep in her heart that if she can get to a  _“Master”_ that she'll surely get more answers than from those dusty old books. Besides, the Master has to learn from something and they might have an even more extensive library.

“Sure. But, uh, do you plan to carry me there?”

Luma laughs, “Of course not! We fly back on our gliders.”

“Okay, and just so you know mine has extra large wings.”

The sarcasm doesn't faze Luma at all, she simply rolls with the punches. “Guess I should have figured that. Whelp, lucky you I came here with a Gummi Ship instead. Let's get going before any people show up.”

Luma turns around and begins to walk away towards the alleys Sam had come from. Sam hurries after her, “Why are you worried about people?”

“Only a few know about us and what we do. It's... easier that way.”

 

* * *

On the way, Luma chatted constantly. Apparently not having a Master meant Sam doesn't know about at least half of the things she should. Everything from the lanes between to worlds to Heartless. In all honesty, the Gummi Ship alone left Sam's head spinning. She certainly hadn't expected such a strange looking vehicle. To which she was surprised they made it safely to a world Luma called the Land of Departure.

She mentioned that it's where the Masters usually stay. At least, there's always one there to monitor the state of the worlds and train young pupils.

Sam descends from the Gummi Ship and lands in a large Courtyard. It's breathtaking in every way. From the floating castle to the large chains that connect each tower and even to the serene atmosphere that settles at the base of the white clouds in the sky. Sam can't think about it too long when her gaze is forced to the stairs leading to the castle.

“Luma!”

She looks onto a woman as she practically flies down the stairs – even missing two or three steps every so often. The woman is tall and slender with lightly sun-kissed skin. Her blue hair parts to the left and stays short about the base of her neck. Matching her hair and eyes, her outfit revolves around the various shades of blue: From the navy blue, high-collared halter top to the pieces of armor on her white bell sleeves and resting at the blue cloths draped over each hip.

Over the blue cloths rest white ones of matching design. She also dons two pinks straps over her chest and a black corset beneath it. Additionally, she wears thigh-high black stockings and silver, pointed and armored boots with sharp hooks on the outer sides.

She's barely at the painted stone of the courtyard when she begins scolding Luma. “I've told you it's not appropriate to leave without telling me. I shouldn't have to find out by being informed that the Gummi is missing.”

Luma scratches at her cheek and bows her head. “Sorry Master Aqua.”

The blue-haired woman pats Luma's shoulder and shakes her head. As she does she finally takes notice of Sam, “Ah, who is this?”

Aqua takes a step away from Sam and closer to Luma, almost protectively. Before Sam can say a word, Luma is already knee deep in an explanation. “Oh, um, this is Sam! I ran into her when I went to... out and helped take care of some Heartless. She has a Keyblade but doesn't have a Master.”

A little surprised to say the least, especially since most -if not all - Keyblade wielders have to have the power bestowed upon them, Aqua doesn't hesitate either way. “You don't mind if I ask to see your Keyblade do you?”

Sam only hesitates for a moment, but it's only because she's not sure how to force it. Not after the instinctual feeling the first time it happened. However, the second she lets the thought of needing it cross her mind the power responds immediately. She holds her hand up as it flashes into her grasp. Proven that she is indeed a wielder, Aqua nods for her to dismiss it.

“I'd be more than happy to train you, Sam.”

At those words, Luma glances up at her Master and then over at Sam. But the latter isn't quite in the conversation. Not with her thoughts immediately conjuring up that memory of Terra. Thankfully, Aqua is quick to keep the words flowing.

She waves a hand, “Of course, you don't have to decide right now. Besides, there are other Masters you can learn from.” Aqua extend that same hand towards Sam, “I'm Master Aqua.”

Sam shakes her hand, “It's nice to meet you.”

Aqua draws her hand back and takes a step away from both pupils. “In fact, Master Terra should be returning soon from a mission. If you'd like, spar with him and he might take you on as his student.”

Visibly perking up, Sam can't help but let a small smile twitch the corners of her lips.

“And while you wait, why don't I teach you a few spells and then Luma can practice with you.” She snaps her fingers. “I'll have to speak with Yen Sid to arrange some proper clothes.” Aqua summons her Keyblade, a slender blade of sharp angles and arrows. “Shall we begin?”

Knowing she doesn't have much of a choice and figuring it would be safe to learn some sort of... magic... Sam summons her Keyblade back as well. A moment later she's left practicing with Luma, who tries to keep her up to speed on all of the technical bits. Although, Luma doesn't seem to have quite a grasp on it either.

By the time they're retreating to sitting on the stairs. Rather, Luma does while she instructs Sam from the side. By that time Sam at least has the basics down and is sending off little Blizzard spells to collide with Fire spells.

A small fireball smacks into the previous chunk of Blizzard and sends a spray of magic around the mini explosion. Luma cheers her on, “That was great Sam! You're a natural!”

“Luma's right, you really are good with your magic.”

Sam doesn't even have to turn around. Shivers make her skin crawl with anticipation and expectation. She knows that voice – the deep sultry roll of his words. She knows she just has to turn around and he'll be right there. Just like when he dropped down to save her the first time.

 


	3. Chapter 3

The deep breath she exhales comes as a surprise. Sam didn't realize she had been holding it in. She watches as Luma jumps to her feet and bows, bending slightly at the waist. She slips straight out of cheerleader mode and back to pupil-in-training. “Welcome back, Master Terra.”  
  
Sam slowly turns around, taking a step back towards Luma in the process. She can't help but run her eyes over him. It's only been a day and yet it feels like a century since she's seen him. After all, it's the first time she has seen him. Her original body already had. And yet she's trapped under the piercing, sapphire stare. She didn't notice him eying her just as she had been doing to him. But even so, he's able to hold a conversation while doing so.   
  
“Luma, please. I told you not to be so... formal, when Aqua isn't around.”  
  
Turning his full attention to her, he gives a small smile. Sam isn't sure how to interpret it either. It's something so ambiguous that it has her running in mental circles. She doesn't even get a chance to gather those scattered thoughts before Terra is standing before both of them.   
  
“Who's the new recruit?”  
  
Sam answers before Luma can even fumble with her words, “My name is Sam. Nice to meet you.”  
  
“Terra.” he extends a hand and Sam takes it a second later. As he draws his hand back, he glances down at Sam's Keyblade. “How long have you had it?”  
  
The question sends Sam into an inner panic state. She watches each and every twitch and breath he takes, judging whether or not she should respond with 'oh just got it this morning' or something else. But those blue eyes of his, they make it hard to even think of telling a white lie. Then again, the whole situation is one big lie. If she wasn't standing in front of them, she'd groan out loud. Fortunately she knows one thing – the less said can be better in some situations and this looks like one of them.  
  
“Recently. I'm new.”  
  
“What's your home world?”  
  
“Twilight Town.”   
  
Sam wants to slap herself, but she resists that urge. To blurt out such information could make or break this. Trying to be a whole new person while still being herself – it's the hardest challenge yet. Especially when Luma raises an eyebrow at her.  
  
“Now that you mention it... I never saw you before? What area did you live in?”  
  
“Terra! You're supposed to report in first  _before_  you idly chat with the pupils.”  
  
Sam can't be happier to turn around and see Aqua hurrying back down the steps. Despite looking a little peeved, Sam's at least happy the attention is off of her. Aqua strides straight past both of them and up to Terra. She only comes up to his shoulders, but Sam can guess that she'd still pack a punch regardless.   
  
“You're late.”  
  
Terra merely grins, “I told you, I don't leave until the mission is complete. No exceptions.”  
  
The blue-haired Master can only laugh softly, shoving playfully at Terra before turning away. “So if I needed you, you wouldn't have come?”  
  
“I didn't say that.”  
  
“You did actually.”  
  
Sam watches with a strangled sort of feeling as they interact. Part of her wants to join in, to be able to be so friendly and simple. More so with the man that saved her life than anything. Honestly, she wants nothing more than to thank him for everything he's done. Although Sam finds she needs to reminder herself to be careful what she wishes for.   
  
“Does Sam have a Master yet? Or did you take care of that already?”  
  
“Weren't you the one that said you didn't want another?”   
  
Aqua's words are sharp and whispered, but still slightly jovial. Although Sam's sure they weren't intended for Luma or her to hear, they do regardless. Yet Aqua doesn't answer Terra in the slightest. Instead, with a small grin, she turns back to Sam and gestures toward he stairs.  
  
“Actually, I've just gotten word back and have you some new clothes and a room ready.”  
  
Sam nods, “Thank you.” and dutifully begins to follow after her. It's not until she's halfway up the stairs that Terra calls out toward them.  
  
“Don't keep her all to yourself!”  
  
Stilling as the words press against her back, Sam can do nothing. She wants to ask him if this is a game between the two of them and she's the prize. Or does he truly want her as his pupil. If only she could get past the sturdy smile that stays on his lips. But she doesn't turn around either. Instead she keeps her gaze on Aqua, who merely gives a wave of her hand.  
  
Sam stays one pace behind Aqua as the latter leads her through the corridors. The walk is quiet and the atmosphere is comfortable to say the least. Aqua finally stops before a door and as Sam takes a look around she notices this hall is filled with doors.  
  
Aqua smiles and points to the closed door, “This is will be your room while you're here. Depending on your Master, you'll be staying here mostly. The good fairies are waiting inside to make some clothes for you. They're special and will help to hone your skills.”  
  
“Right. Magic clothes.”  
  
The retort has Aqua's features softening. “I know this must be new. It's not... often... that someone simply has a Keyblade. And this has to be a lot to take in at once. If you get overwhelmed, just let me know, okay?”  
  
For some reason, Sam can't say okay. She just can't do it. The old Sam would have had no problem looking at the lovely woman and nodding politely. But the new Sam is different in so many ways. Ways that even she doesn't know yet. And she can't do it, she doesn't want to depend on this woman. So instead she turns to the door and grabs the handle, opening it and crossing the threshold. Sam only spares a moment of hesitation before walking inside and shutting the door, “I can handle it.”  
  
The second she's leaning back against the door, Sam sighs – letting out all of the frustration. The frustration that she doesn't know why she has. She is – was – a man, she has no need to feel... any sort of emotion about how Terra and Aqua banter back and forth. And yet, something deep in the back of her mind dares to say otherwise. Sam brings a hand up to cradle her face. If anything, she gets a moment of peace to be alone.  
  
“Oh dear, is something wrong?”  
  
“Are you feeling alright?”  
  
“Can we get you something?”  
  
Sam's hand drops back to her side as she stares at the three women, or rather fairies, before her. She can't believe she had forgotten about them. At least they had been politely silent while she went through her inner problems. She reaches a hand up to push her glasses back up onto her nose properly. “Ah.. No, I'm fine. I'm Sam.”  
  
The three smile and nod at her then each other. They're mostly identical. They're petite with gray hair and wear conical hats atop their heads – each with a strap to keep it on their heads. Each wears a long-sleeved dress and cape although they do differ ever so slightly between each other.  
  
“My name is Flora.” The one dressed solely in red says. She dons a gold skirt beneath her dress with matching cuffs and broach for her cape. The small wings on her back have a pink hue to them to go along with the theme.  
  
“And I'm Fauna.” She's the smallest between them and her outfit varies in shades of green. Her cape is deep while the dress and skirt beneath it go from light to lighter. Her broach is a similar green to her cape and her wings glow with the faintest lime green.  
  
“Merryweather,” the last simply states. She's quite the heaviest out of them and has her arms crossed before her, wand tapping the thin air impatiently. She dons a dark blue cape, blue dress and an even lighter skirt beneath it. Her broach is a blue circular pendant and her wings a pale blue hue.   
  
“Ah...Hello I-”  
  
Flora waves her wand, “Yes dearie, we know. This will only take a second.” She nods to the others, “Ready?”  
  
All three smile and give gentle nods to one another. They twirl their wands in a circle and then flick them towards Sam. The sparkling lights surge forward and wrap around Sam with nothing but warmth. She closes her eyes out of instinct and when she opens them a second later, she's plenty surprised.   
  
Her old clothes are gone and replaced by completely new ones. She wears a pair of black, fingerless gloves that match her ankle-high boots. Over a sleeveless, light purple shirt is a dark gray vest with a pleated bottom, to which it's outlined with ebony. It's only zipped up halfway and just covers her shoulders. The hem scarcely covers the pale violet sash wrapped about to her waist. A broach keeps the sash tied at her hips and it mostly silver armor with a violet gem in the middle. Additionally she wears a pair of black shorts under a short skirt that flares about her thighs.   
  
It's far different than anything else she has worn and it leaves her feeling strange. Dressed in her old clothes, Sam didn't notice the change as prominently. But now she's left with only the stark reality of her situation. That she's far from home and her old life. She reaches up and adjusts her glasses and brushes her long locks out of the way. All the while, the three fairies are squabbling amongst themselves.   
  
A subtle knock to the door behind Sam has them all quieting down. Flora turns to her and smiles, “We'll be leaving. Do be careful dear.” and in a shower of sparkling lights they're gone.  
  
Sam blinks several times – still trying to absorb exactly what just happened. Not that magic is a shock, but she hadn't expected fairies that can give her a new wardrobe either. She shakes her head and spins around, opening the door to see Luma's smiling face. Her eyes run up and down Sam before she gives her a thumbs up.  
  
“Very nice!” Luma exclaims as she takes a step back, allowing Sam to step out and shut the door. “Ready to go meet the Masters?”  
  
Fidgeting at the thought, Sam barely nods before Luma is walking away. Sam hurries to follow. The whole way Luma chatters about everything from directions to her own training. Honestly, Sam finds it hard to concentrate with her thoughts running madly in circles. She knows she's just needs to calm down but everything just seems so quick.   
  
Easy acceptance.  
  
Thrust into an adventure is what she wanted though and as she comes to two large, white doors she realizes it's what she has before her. All she has to do is say yes to one of the people in the next room. She glances over to Luma and finds the girl gazing at her with a worried expression.  
  
“You'll be okay. I know it's a little much right now.” Luma hesitates for a second before finally reaching out and squeezing Sam's left hand in her own. “I'll be right here waiting for you when you're done. Give it your best!”  
  
Sam takes a deep breath and steels herself. She walks into the room while Luma closes the doors behind her. Head held high, she moves straight for the middle of the room before a raised platform that supports two thrones. In the one on her left is Aqua and the right is Terra.   
  
A strange feeling pangs through her being as she thinks of how strangely perfect it all looks. As if she's in a castle and they're the King and Queen. She has to mentally shake the image away and concentrate. This is important and she can't afford to falter now – not after she's been granted this chance. Whatever this chance entails.   
  
Facing the Masters, she sweeps her gaze along each and every one of them. On Aqua's side at the furthest end is a young man with spiky blond hair that sweeps up and to the right. He does several layers of clothing; high-collared black shirt, dull green armor, gray vest, and a red pleated and checkered jacket. Although his baggy pants and armored shoes look rather casual compared to Aqua and Terra.  
  
Beside him is a male with brown hair that spikes every which way, including down into the bright blue eyes that match the one he stands beside. His appearance is similar to the blond with his black, hooded jacket with a silver pauldron on each shoulder. Beneath that is a navy shirt with red accents. His pants seem to balloon about his legs; black on the outside and dark blue on the inside. Yellow straps criss-cross around them that have red pockets hanging from them. His shoes match is pants in every way from color to the addition of buckles and zippers. Like the others he wears fingerless gloves, though his are black.  
  
On the other side is Terra with a tall young man standing next to him. Sam catches a glance between them and watches the friendly gaze of sapphire and teal collide. The man turns away, sending his short silver hair swaying about his face. He wears a sleeveless black shirt beneath a white vest, both lined with zippers in the middle. The white vest has yellow trimming with a blue stripe separating the colors. Over his left wrist he dons a loose band that covers from his knuckles to his elbow. His blue baggy pants are held up by a black belt and sport large pockets. The bottoms of his pants fall over the tops of his white shoes; accented similarly to his vest.  
  
Next to him is a petite young lady with the sweetest smile and shimmering cerulean eyes. The pink, strapless dress reaches halfway down her thighs and has three adorning zippers. However, the one on each side of her body are purely decorative. A black hood stems off the back of the dress and a white top peaks out from the top of the dress. Additionally she has three bracelets around her left wrist, a black belt, with a loop stemming off each side, about her waist. Hanging off the left side of the belt is a square shaped bag with a ribbon holding it closed. Her shoes rather plain compared to the elaborate attire and are simple lilac sneakers with black strings.  
  
Aqua sweeps an arm to gesture to her right, staring with the blond. “Master Ventus and Master Sora.” Then she proceeds to wave toward the remaining two, “Master Riku and Master Kairi.”   
  
Sam nods slightly, showing she understands, and Aqua continues.  
  
“Your abilities will be tested, are you ready?”  
  
She swallows hard and takes a deep breath, “Yes.”


	4. Chapter 4

Aqua smiles and Sam can only assume it's in a supportive manner. She continues nonetheless and Sam does her best to not get lost in the words. "You will spar with one of us. We will take note of your abilities; speed, strength, magic, and agility. Do your best." She glances amongst her fellow Masters, "Is there anyone who-"

"I will."

Terra stands up from his seat, not even waiting for another word to be said. In fact, it's as though he makes sure no one can disagree or challenge him. Even Aqua rests back in her seat with the gentle shake of her head. Terra strides straight for Sam, to which he gives her a nod and a smile. His voice is low, meant only for her and it sends chills over her skin. "Don't hold back."

At first she finds it odd, but quickly corrects her thinking as she remembers that he's a Master. Surely he can handle even her best shot at this. He takes one step back and she follows suit. Holding her hand out to the side she wills Spellbook into her grasp just as Terra summons his own Keyblade. Terra gives her the signal to move, "Good luck."

She hesitates at first, unsure of how to approach him. The memories of him flash quickly through her mind and she hurries to come up with a strategy that will help her figure out how he ticks. At the moment the only thing she knows is he seems to have a lot of strength from the way he slung it around back then. Exhaling slowly, she wills herself to stay light on her feet and to not trip up.

Sam runs forward and keeps her limbs close to her body as she does. Terra doesn't move and instead merely waits, watching. Just as she gets within range he lifts his Keyblade up into a large sweep that covers the front. She ducks and rolls to the right before springing back up to her feet and slashing at him in an upward arc.

Terra jumps back and steadies himself just in time to block her next attack. He allows her to attempt to beat at his defenses for a moment, seeing how long she'll keep it up. Something he shouldn't have done. Noticing that it doesn't faze him in the slightest, Sam sends a Thunder spell up the length of her Keyblade and strikes the magic down onto his awaiting block.

Running on pure instinct from the surprise, Terra knocks her backward with one hit. The magic passes over his skin, tingling every fiber through his clothing. Sam stays on her feet, however, and runs for him again. This time she dodges before he can even swing and manages to get behind him. But Terra is already reading her mind and meets her with a trio of powerful strikes.

Sam grits her teeth as the pain from trying to block his attacks vibrates through her arms. As he's about to start another combo, she takes that small window of opportunity to get away. But this time Terra is moving after her and it surprises her. She tries to spin around and block the next sweep of his Keyblade.

Instead it rips her own weapon from her fingertips and sends her backwards, falling onto her rear. She proceeds to topple backward – lying flat on the ground as she tries to get her bearings. In all honesty, she had expected to be like this much sooner. Terra hovers into her view as he dismisses his Keyblade and extends a helping hand. "You gave a good run."

He helps her up and begins to walk away, back toward his chair. The whole time Sam watches him, awestruck in more way than one. Especially when he cuts Aqua off before she can even utter a word. "I'll train her."

"Let the battle sink in for the others first. I'm sure someone else wants to as well."

"From the look on their faces, I don't think they should."

"Terra. She combined magic with her attacks and she  _just_  learned how to even cast a spell. She has great magical potential and surely Riku or I can provide her a better advancement."

"Are you saying I can't use magic? Maybe we should spar next."

The grin on his face doesn't calm her though. Sam lets her gaze wander over to Ventus who laughs softly, "I think I'll stay out of this one."

Just as he finishes he elbows Sora. To which Sora quickly speaks up, "I'll pass."

Sam can only watch from a distance as Riku and Kairi share a look, one that means nothing to her but everything to them. And yet at the same time, to her they all seem like one big family and it's as though she's intruding. It makes her cheeks flush more from the thought than the adrenaline still pumping through her veins.

Finally, Aqua takes a deep breath and turns her attention back to Sam. "It is your decision, Sam. Go with what you think is best."

To be honest, she doesn't know what  _would_  be best. If she thinks of Aqua's points, she realizes that her skills are better suited with Aqua herself. But she knows she can't choose the woman. There's just no way. After all, she only came here because of Terra. She sways her gaze over to the brunet and his eyes lock with hers. Sam has to swallow hard and lower her gaze to the floor, feeling strange from how he stares at her.

Kairi smiles and glances over to Aqua, "You don't have to decide right away. This is a big decision and if you need more time, you may have it."

Granted it, she realizes she just doesn't need it. There's no other person she wants. She shakes her head and raises her eyes to level with the Masters before her. In reality, she's only looking toward one. The one that started it all.

"I would be honored if Master Terra would train me."

The grin that plasters itself onto Terra's face can be beat by no other. The fact that he even smiles like that has Sam happy she said it. Although he quickly turns his gaze over to Aqua, "See? She knows who is better for her."

"Or she's intimidated."

"Like you are?"

"Hardly." Aqua grins back at him, "You're nothing more than big teddy bear."

Sam has to tune out of their banter that echoes throughout the great hall with its towering ceilings. She feels left out from the way Terra easily throws quips back at Aqua or even provoking her. Even more so is that they seem like ordinary people that happen to be friends. That the protection of worlds or fighting creatures doesn't even exist at the moment.

Lost in her own thoughts, Sam doesn't even notice as everyone, but Terra and Aqua, move towards her. Ventus and Sora are the first to get near her. Although Sora seems the most eager. He grins while placing his hands behind his head, rocking on his heels as they stand before her. "Good luck Sam."

Ventus chuckles, "If Terra gets too tough just let me know."

The two move on as Sam takes a deep breath. They're so nice that it throws her off, she didn't expect to be welcomed so readily. Kairi hurries over to, as if wanting to say something no one else will hear. Sam waits as she comes to a stop beside her, their shoulders brushing. "I don't come back here often, but if there's anything you need and I can help – just let me know." She goes to walk away then hesitates. "Oh, and if you get overwhelmed just tell Aqua."

Kairi hurries after Sora and Ventus, to which they laugh as they open the doors and exit the room. By the time Sam is turning back to face forward, Riku is already in front of her with his arms crossed. To be honest, he looks a little scary and has her taking half a step back. More so out of surprise than anything. Although Riku doesn't seem fazed in the least as she quickly gathers herself.

He nods his head back toward the two Masters still chattering away. "Don't mind them. Terra is a lot more serious than he looks. Rest up while you can."

Just as the last word leaves his lips, Terra is beside him. He pats Riku on the shoulder and smiles down at him. "You should come by more often. It's been a while since we've gotten to spar."

"You're one to talk Terra. You should come home more often,  _period_." comes Aqua's sharp retort. Terra rolls his eyes but the amused look on his face combats it. Aqua moves past them, stopping after a moment before she gets to the door. "I hardly see you these days. Maybe now that you have a pupil you'll stay home more."

Sam glances between them and quickly lowers her gaze. She feels completely out of her element and from the glance to Riku, she thinks he may be feeling the same. Not that she can tell for sure. Nor does she bother to dwell on it. Nonetheless, Riku shakes his head. "Sora and I will be staying for a short while." He glances up to Terra, "Maybe you'll get that fight."

Terra nods, "I look forward to it."

Riku turns, slipping away from the hand on his shoulder, and catches up with Aqua. Together they walk out, leaving Sam alone with Terra. To which the latter hols out a hand, "You can call me Terra – don't worry about the Master part."

Sam reaches out and shakes his hand, "Then you can call me Sam."

Chuckling in response, Terra draws his hand away to rub at the back of his head. "Ah, Aqua wasn't wrong though. I'm not the best in magic or speed, but I'll teach you the best I can. And if you think you need it, I don't have a problem with you asking the other Masters for lessons. Everyone has a different area of expertise."

She can't help but smile up at him, trying to reassure him. "No, really it won't be a problem. I want to learn from you and that's it."

The look he gives her makes her think he's proud, but at the same time she's just not sure. It could be anything really. She tries not to get lost in those deep blue eyes and is almost thankful when he turns away. He smiles back at her as he makes his way to the door, "Training starts first thing tomorrow morning. Don't be late."

"I wouldn't dare."

Just as she goes to turn to follow, Luma is running into the room at full speed. She skids to a stop just before Sam and takes the latter's hands in her own. "So? Who did you choose?"

"Geez, you're more excited than I am."

Luma swiftly pulls back, laughing. "Oh wait, let me guess." She brings a finger up to tap at her chin. "Hmm... Riku?"

"Close. Terra."

"Ah, ah –  _Master_  Terra."

Sam rolls her eyes and begins to walk away, "So someone mentioned dinner."

Luma spins around and bounds over to stride beside her. "It's going to be... an hour at least. Why don't I show you around? I'd hate for you to get lost."

"Thanks Luma."

Laughing, they leave the hall and begin to make their way through the corridors.


	5. Chapter 5

The corridors are silent and even the slightest sound echoes loudly around her. But she can't stay still. Sam had gone straight to her room after dinner and getting ready for bed. For a little while she had simply laid there, staring up at the ceiling. Even her thoughts were quiet as her feelings finally surfaced. If anything, she's thankful to the fairies for giving her more clothes than just the ones on her back. It allows her to walk around without feeling strange.  
  
She moves as silently as she can until she finds herself stepping out into the training grounds. Her feet, clad in gray slippers, pad over to the stone table and chairs. Sam quickly takes a seat as the chill of the night air slices through her one meager layer of clothing. As she thinks back, she should have grabbed a coat. Her thin, button-up top and flannel pants do nothing to keep her warm.   
  
Drawing her feet up onto the edge of the stone chair, Sam wraps her arms around her knees and tilts her head back. Her gaze sweeps over the endless sky before her. Stars twinkle brightly against the darkness and it only makes her realize how real this is. She got her wish. Now she has to live with it.  
  
At the same time, she's not even sure if it's permanent. That thought alone scares her. To some degree she's homesick, wanting nothing more than to return to the place she knows. The future before her at the moment is blank and she's left alone and nervous to deal with it all. Her old life was far more predictable and part of her misses it.  
  
Although she reminds herself that, that's the exact reason why she wanted something more. Even if she does miss the friends she had. She can only hope they're doing okay and not worrying about her. Surely know one will notice her departure any time soon. It's only been a day now – or will be in a few short hours.  
  
She sighs and closes her eyes. She doesn't want to sleep. Doesn't want to chance it that she'll wake up back home and be far from what her heart craves. Sam grasps at the front of her shirt. If only she knew what exactly it does want, she could try to find it more quickly than she's doing.  
  
“Can't sleep?”  
  
Sam doesn't know what to do first – she can only do it all at once. She lets go of her shirt, snaps her eyes open and turns around in her seat. Grasping at the edges of the chair, she finds herself looking up at Terra. He's not as dressed down as herself, but he at least lacks his gauntlets and armor. Terra moves straight for the chair opposite of her, leaving the table between them. As he sits down, she sinks back against the chair.   
  
“Oh no, I'm just sleep walking.”  
  
Terra laughs and shakes his head. Sam can't help but smile at the sound. It makes her feel... good... that he isn't put off by her sarcasm. Especially when most others tend to be. Silence dares to surround them and Terra is quick to speak up – not wanting it to get into that awkward place.  
  
“It's alright to be nervous. Not all change is bad.” He chuckles, “I'm not as strict as they make me sound.”  
  
She hakes her head slightly before leaning her elbow on the arm of the chair and then her head on her hand. “I'll be fine. The _new_ will wear off soon. Besides I won't be able to think about it if I have to concentrate on training.”  
  
He seems to accept this and rises from his seat. “Don't stay up too late then.” She turns her attention away, or so that she can look at him from the corner of her eye, as he goes to walk by her. He could go the other way around the table, but instead he chooses to come right past her chair. As he's next to her, he gently reaches for her shoulder.   
  
It's comforting to say the least. But he doesn't let it linger for long. “If you ever need anything, it doesn't matter what it is, you can come to me.”  
  
“Because you're my Master?”  
  
“Because I want to be your friend.”   
  
The sincerity of the statement has Sam frozen to the spot as he walks away. It makes her realize she doesn't quite know exactly who Terra is. She's seen his strength, his silly banter, and the softness he shows to those around him. But she doesn't _know_ him. And it makes something inside churn – something that she doesn't even know how to place. She turns her head, watching as he walks away.   
  
A sigh draws from her lips as she tilts her head back the second he's out of sight. She stares up at the stars and can't help but wonder which is Twilight Town. But even more so if she made the right wish . Because she's not sure if there's a way to go back if not.   
  
**(_)(_)(_)**  
  
Sam groans as the knocking refuses to cease. The loud thuds are soon followed by Luma's voice. “Sam? Geez you're still in bed?”  
  
She cracks her eyes open to see Luma standing beside her bed, hands on her hips. Sam lets another groan break past her dry mouth. Rolling over, she tugs the sheets up over her head. Luma can only shake her head. “What did you do, stay up all night?”  
  
“Of course not, I was up all morning.”  
  
Luma lets a smile loose, “Well you'd better hurry up, you're running late.”  
  
“Just give me a second.”  
  
A small giggle is all she leaves with Sam before walking back out of the room and shutting the door behind her. The second she's alone, Sam rolls back over onto her back. The blanket flutters off the side of the bed. She takes a deep breath and can already feel the sleep weighing heavily in her bones. Hopefully by the end of breakfast she can shake it off.   
  
Pushing herself up, she stifles a yawn and brushes back her hair from her face. She reaches for her glasses and sweeps them up off of the nightstand. In her quest to get ready for the day, she finds herself pausing before the mirror in her bathroom. She can't help but slow down as she zips up her top.  
  
Lately she seems to go on autopilot when it comes to giving any attention to her body. Even still she finds it strange to see a female face looking back at her in the mirror. She has to remind herself sometimes that this body is her's now.   
  
Sam shakes her head and turns on her heel, heading straight for the door. She doesn't have time to worry about any of that now. She doesn't want to start a chain reaction of being late all day long. She has training with Terra after breakfast and if there's anything she's looking forward to, it's that.   
  
**(_)(_)(_)**  
  
Roughly an hour after breakfast, Sam finds herself out in the training grounds waiting for Terra. Luma had walked her from the dining hall to here before leaving to tend to her own training with Aqua. Breakfast itself was full of laughter and chatter just like every time they get together. And as usual, she feels a little on the outside of it all. As though she's merely looking in – a quick peek before it's whisked away in a second.   
  
She had found that Sora trained under Ventus and he along with Kairi and Riku had become Masters only a short while ago. Therefore they haven't taken on any pupils as of yet. Or rather, not that she knows of. Sora and Riku staying for the next week draws her to that very conclusion. Although Kairi isn't here so she could have one.   
  
Sam leans against the stone table and crosses her arms. Despite it all, she still has more questions than answers. And its not like she can just ask Terra to tell her his whole life story coupled with what being a Keyblade Wielder even means. Naturally he'd ask her in return and she can't even think of telling him that the Sam he's training is the same Sam that he rescued only a short while ago.   
  
“What's wrong Sam?”  
  
“Just waiting on the guy that's supposed to be training me.”  
  
The quip is sharp, but friendly and from what she can tell Terra takes it like so. Although inside she could hit herself for being so... Sam-like. Terra doesn't bat an eye and summons his Keyblade. “I take it you're ready then.”   
  
Sam summons her own Keyblade and pushes off of the table. They walk over to the open area and gain some distance between them. “What's first?”  
  
“Guarding.” Terra brings his Keyblade up in a traditional block position before lowering it. “Everyone blocks the same, but at the same time it's different.” She raises an eyebrow and Terra continues. “Aqua, for example, can cast a barrier that surrounds her. So, she can block all the way around her instead of having to turn. Or you can harness your power and teleport. With enough practice we can figure out what you're skill is.”  
  
“And by practice you mean hitting me with that?” she asks while pointing to Terra's Keyblade.   
  
The grin on his face says it before he can even open his mouth. “If you want to put it that way, yeah.” He shifts into an attacking stance. “Ready?”  
  
Sam only nods and instead begins to focus all of her attention on the matter at hand. She's guarded plenty of times so far, but she had no idea there were so many variables that can happen to make it better. She takes a deep breath and shifts all her weight to her heels, digging them into the ground, as Terra charges at her.  
  
His first three strikes have her shoulders vibrating with pain from force. And they're simple to boot. When he shifts begins another combo, Sam just isn't sure she can hold up for very long. Just as she has to bite at the inside of her bottom lip, Terra backs off. He takes a deep breath and raises an eyebrow, “You alright?”  
  
Once more, she nods. Although she's glad to have the break as she can stretch. Getting the kinks out, she barely has time to drop back to block when Terra is suddenly upon her. She manages to pull her Keyblade up in front of her in the nick of time. Something surges through her and sends Earthshaker slinging back a few inches.   
  
Sam dodges to the side and inhales deep. But she stops instantly at the look on his face. And she's not sure whether the surprise of whatever she just did is a good thing or not. Nonetheless, she refuses to let him give up or change anything. Not if this is working. She can feel it. Feel that something is churning inside. Sam blinks several times as she figures it out. In fact, she feels pained just knowing she hadn't put more thought into it in the first place. She can do what she puts her mind to and this is no different.   
  
“One more like that.”  
  
Terra hesitates at first. As if he's not sure if he should follow her lead or not. Even still he doesn't let her down because he knows she's more aware of her limits than he will be. Although he does see the confidence in her gaze and how she even seems to stand with a stronger demeanor. She's a fast learner.   
  
Moving forward; one, two, three large strides. He slashes differently to start in an upward diagonal motion. The first clang of metal brings no results to draw forth her personalized guard. He brings it back down in the opposite direction. Still nothing. Again and again nothing comes forth and he can begin to see the frustration growing in her features.  
  
Just as he's about to stop, he decides he'll give one more before he declares a break. He doesn't want to break her in too bad after all. He brings it down on Spellbook, expecting to merely bounce a little from the clash as usual.  
  
Sam closes her eyes just before. In her mind she envisions it this time and tries to let it flow out. She doesn't know if it's even a spell, a skill, an action or anything that can be done. But she wants it. Knows it will be perfect for her, it's her creation, and she won't let it fail. There's no way she can't bring something she's imagined to life.  
  
The same time as she exhales and his Keyblade meets hers, Terra is thrown backward. He holds steady and falls into a skid, managing to stay standing. His gaze hurries to find her and he manages to catch the glimmer of a Reflega spell. Although it's not a spell at all. It's an improved guard. The barrier of light shimmers into nothingness while the lights that spray out around it fade as well. The dome, now completely gone, has Terra speechless.  
  
Huffing, Sam lowers Spellbook and brings a hand up to wipe at her brow. Terra lets out a chortle and rolls his right shoulder, working out the tension from the block. “That was great Sam! I've never seen anything like that.”  
  
“Thanks.”  
  
“Alright. Now that you can guard, you need to know how to break one. Here's the test so be creative.”  
  
Terra draws Earthshaker up into a blocking stance and beckons her with the nod of his head. Sam feels a little better about breaking one. Especially now that she knows how to get hers to come forth. Although from what she can see, Terra isn't going to be doing anything other than traditional at the moment.   
  
Especially since this isn't the first time she's had to charge him. Shaking off any doubts, she takes a deep breath and surges forward. Her shoes beat against the ground and as she gets close she lets her shoes slide over the grass. But she knows she can't waste a second or she'll lose this chance.   
  
Sam slips behind him and channels a thunder spell about her Keyblade. Terra is spinning around to block her attack as she does and she knows she's calculated this perfectly. Although it does manage to surprise her how quickly he does move and she sends a little too much of the spell. Just as Earthshaker is drawn up, she slams Spellbook, infused with Thundara, down against it.   
  
Immediately, Terra reacts. Even though it's out of pure instincts, he still shoves her back with half of a counterattack. He realizes what he's done just in time to not finish it and instead reach out for her as she falls backward. Wrapping one arm around her waist, Terra catches her and brings her close. Sam, lost in the movements, drops her Keyblade – to which it vanishes – as Terra holds her to his chest.   
  
For a second she can't breathe. All she can hear is his heart beat in her ears and her own threatening to overpower it. She can already feel the flush coming up to her cheeks and if she could she would have buried her face. Instead she turns her head to spare her glasses. Terra doesn't seem fazed at all, in her opinion, as he apologizes. “Sorry about that.”  
  
Hands pressed to his torso, she's almost afraid to move them. To even let him know that she's touching him. Blinking, she has to distract her mind from the way his shirt clings and defines all of his muscles. “Well, I'm going to get countered eventually. Um, at least you're nice enough to catch me.”  
  
Terra laughs and with her cheek pressing against him, the rumble is pleasant to her. She almost doesn't want to move, that it feels so nice to be held like this. And immediately she halts those thoughts. That these are the most ridiculous thoughts she's ever had. In the body of a woman or not, the way she's feeling is far to much for her at the moment.   
  
“You're scrunching up my glasses,” she mutters.   
  
Terra apologizes again instantly. Although this one is more of a whisper as he tries to clear his throat. He takes a step back after making sure she's steady on her feet. Drawing up a hand, he rubs at the back of his neck and then gestures to the stone table. He doesn't say anything in fact, he merely hurries over and Sam can't help but follow.   
  
Sitting like they had the night before, everything is different. Sam keeps her eyes off of him. Although she can't stop from glancing out the corner of her eye. While Terra seems to look over the table between them. He clears his throat again and smiles. “That was a lot faster than I had expected.”  
  
“You said be creative. It's not like I did anything different than last time though.”  
  
Terra chuckles, “That's true. I should have seen that one coming.” Finally, Sam looks over to him and can't help but flash a small smile. His attitude is just contagious and she can't resist. “I'm impressed though. You picked up on my weakness pretty quick.”  
  
The compliment has Sam glancing to the side.   
  
“So, any questions? I'm sure it's easier to train with someone that isn't a stranger.”  
  
Sam shakes her head. “After that, you're definitely not a stranger.”  
  
The words come out before she has a chance to filter them and she almost invisibly winces. From the look on Terra's face, she feels as though she's offended him. But she doesn't know how to fix it. She can't just tell him; 'sorry, I don't know how to do this as a girl'. Sam groans inwardly.   
  
“Hey guys!” Both turn toward the source of voice to see Sora standing by the overhang. “Aqua made some snacks. Hurry up before they're gone!”  
  
Sora hurries off while Terra stands. He gestures for Sam to follow. “You can't miss out, she makes some of the best from the fruit they bring back from their world.”   
  
Sam follows suit. Walking beside him through the halls to get to the dining area, she keeps her gaze anywhere but at him. She just doesn't know what to say and she feels stupid for even worrying about it. Never, never, has she worried so much about offending someone more than when she's with Terra.   
  
“I think that'll be good for today. Spar with Luma before lunch and then we'll have another session of guarding before dinner. Just to make sure you can replicate those results.”  
  
She nods, not wanting to say that she'd rather spar with him. Although at the moment that might not be the best idea anyway with her head running in circles like this. “Thanks.”  
  
“You don't need to thank me. Actually, I should thank you. It's an honor to be able to train someone. That you're good enough to show someone along just as the Master before you.”  
  
The door is before them before either are ready. Both react at the same time, reaching out to open the door for the other. Their hands touch and both pull away instantly. Terra is quick to recover and is opening it before she can say a word about it. “Ladies first.”   
  
The smile on his face seems to wash all of the doubts from her mind. She can do nothing but smile back and walk inside with a gentle, “Thank you,” left in her wake.


	6. Chapter 6

At the same time as yesterday, Sam finds herself in the training grounds with Terra. The only difference is they aren't training yet. Instead they're watching Aqua and Luma in the midst their own. Terra and Sam had been a little late to the area, not that either mind watching the two girls start practicing magic.  
  
Luma is further along in her training, naturally from being here longer. Even still, Sam is impressed to see such a concentrated spell try to form over and over. Aqua gestures to begin again and Sam focuses all of her attention on Luma. The girl takes a deep breath and with her Keyblade in hand begins to summon forth a spell. A large ball of Firaga forming at the end of the green blade. Just as it seems to take form and gather power it dissipate instantly as if it were never there.   
  
At that, Terra glances down at her, “Ready to start?”  
  
“Yeah.”  
  
Terra leads her a good distance away from them, just in case a spell comes their way they'll be able to see it. They stand with their sides facing Aqua's back. Luma glances over Aqua's shoulder to meet Sam's eyes. Something in that unsure gaze has Sam surprised. She's not sure why, but something feels off. Nonetheless, she turns back to Terra and nods her confirmation to get moving.   
  
“Since you know how to apply magic to your attacks we'll work on combos. Hacking and slashing only gets you so far. You have to change up your patterns or you won't catch anyone off guard.” He summons Earthshaker into his grasp. “We'll start simple. First tier spells only; fire, thunder, blizzard, aero. Use any combination you want. Are you ready?”  
  
Sam nods just as Spellbook flashes into her hand. She takes a deep breath and tries to plan out a generalized pattern; something to sort of follow. That's when she realizes she hasn't moved fast enough. Terra is already running toward her and raising his Keyblade. He swings it and she barely has a chance to duck and roll away.   
  
She springs back up and sends up a guard just in time to block. The spray of light that erupts around her dissipating shield gives her all the cover she needs. Terra slides away from the counter and turns back towards her just in time to see a small Fire spell hurling towards him. The ball of flame homes in on him and at the last second he blocks it. As it explodes on itself, Terra runs through the blast and straight towards Sam.  
  
Terra slams his Keyblade down against hers, not giving her a second to retreat as he extends it into a three hit combo. Sam grits her teeth and takes the first two hits before sending out a thunder spell. It strikes right beside Terra and he has to dodge to the side to avoid the attack completely. But Sam doesn't stop there. She hurries after him with her blade swinging.   
  
He spins around on his heel and drops Earthshaker low to the ground; aiming for her ankles. Sam reacts by jumping up and holding out her hand. A small chunk of ice forms between them and seeks Terra out. Sam drops back to the ground and rolls away. She tries to catch her breath while pushing herself to stand back up. Her eyes linger on Terra for a brief moment as he slashes through the Blizzard with a strike imbued with fire.   
  
Sam takes a deep breath and prepares to run forward only to stop dead in her tracks. A sharp cry has her turning and looking for the source. She just manages to catch the failed Blizzaga seemingly imploding on itself as it slams into Aqua's block. From what Sam can deduce, she must have been caught off guard because the barrier shatters.   
  
Aqua flies backward several feet before hitting the ground. Sam looks over to see Luma panicking and Terra rushing to Aqua's aid. Luma has her hands up to her face and shaking her head. Apologies spill from her lips while Terra kneels before his fellow Master. He picks her up into his arms and proceeds to carry her over to a stone chair.   
  
“Terra, I'm _fine_. Now put me down.”  
  
“Be quiet. You took that head on. What were you thinking?”  
  
“I...” Aqua sighs, “It was nothing. Now go, you shouldn't stop in the middle of a session.”  
  
Terra glares at her before casting a petite Cure spell. The warm green glow dies down quickly. Sam dismisses her Keyblade and just as she's about to step forward, to say _something_ , Terra is glancing over his shoulder before he turns back to Aqua. “Training is done for today.”  
  
“ _Terra_. You're being ridiculous. At least get Sora or Riku to finish. Ah, I think Riku's in the courtyard and-”  
  
“Fine.” Terra takes a deep breath and gently shakes his head. “Go find Riku and let him know what happened. He won't mind.”  
  
“But if he's busy I'm sure So-”  
  
Terra has no problem cutting her off again, “Riku won't mind.”   
  
His voice is stern and it has Aqua drawing her lips into a taut line. Sam takes a step back. Another step and then another before she's turning away. Her thoughts are running a mile a minute and she can't stop them. She's not happy Aqua is hurt. Especially not with Terra doting over her so.  
  
Luma jogs over to her and together they leave the training grounds. Of course Luma is the one that takes the lead as Sam is still getting used to the layout. Sam glances over to the sullen looking girl, “It was just a spell and one that didn't work at that. You couldn't have done any serious damage. Especially against her.”  
  
“I... guess you're right.” Luma keeps her eyes on the ground as they walk. Sam resigns herself to merely walking until they turn a corner and Luma smiles over at her. “You know. Riku trained under Terra. All he talks about is how proud he is of Riku. Anyways, it won't be too different to train under him – I think.”   
  
They stride down the large stretch of stairs to where the young man is standing. He appears similar to the first time she saw him, although his white and yellow vest is gone and it leaves him with only the high-collared black one. His Keyblade is out in his hands as he swings it around. He parries unseen blows before casting a spell that has Sam's eyes widening. It's nothing like the Fire spells she's seen. The flames are black and bright blue. On top of that they seem to come in threes.   
  
Everything about Riku's movements are fluid and simple. Yet even from a distance she can tell they're strong and demanding just like Terra's. Much to her dismay, having liked watching him work, he stops and turns at the sound of their footsteps. He raises a brow, “Is everything alright?”  
  
They come off the stairs with Luma rubbing at the back of her head. “Well, um, I messed up some magic and accidentally – may have – hurt Master Aqua. So Master Terra sent us over to finish our training. If you don't mind.” She laughs nervously. “If not we can go do it ourselves.”  
  
Riku shakes his head. “That's fine. I don't have a problem.” He turns completely and falls into a stance that has his Keyblade rising above his head before pointing at them. “Then come at me with everything you have. Two-on-one.”  
  
Sam glances over to Luma who gives an encouraging grin. Both summon their Keyblades once more. Sam nods, initiating that she'll volunteer to go first and Luma accepts. Riku merely waits as Sam charges him, doing nothing more than patiently standing. Just as Spellbook is about to slam down on Riku's skull – to which Sam would have pulled back at the last second – a barrier shimmers to life around him.   
  
It's much like Sam's own or rather it looks like how Aqua's would be. The only difference is the shimmer of light is instead a shimmer of darkness. Sam blinks and that's all it takes. Riku vanishes from under her blade.   
  
“Dodge!”  
  
Sam catches Luma's cry just in time. She hurls herself forward and slightly to the side. As she spins around and rights herself she catches the sight of Riku rolling out of the way of a rather large Firaga. Sam brings up her block just in time to nullify the remnants of the hefty spell. Luma shoots her an apologetic glance before ducking a swipe from Riku.   
  
He slashes at her with a breathtaking five hit combo that has the poor girl stumbling over herself. Sam hurries forward and slams one foot against the ground. She puts all her strength behind one horizontal strike. Riku does just as she expected and jumps back, his sneakers sliding against the ground. Luma pants heavily behind her, “T- Thanks.”  
  
“Just keep your eyes open. I'm going to need your spells, just don't hit me.”  
  
Luma nods to Sam's back and whispers for her to go. Sam does just that. She runs straight for Riku with nothing but determination. He was a pupil of Terra. She _is_ a pupil of Terra. And although she knows she can't surpass him just yet, she's going to give him a run for his munny.   
  
Ice runs up her blade and coats it – adding sharp spikes along the shaft. She gets close and stops, dropping into a spin on the toe of her right shoe. She swings her blade and throws the ice chunks straight at Riku. He naturally blocks and counters. Sam is already turning back around and throwing up her Keyblade to guard against him. She's so close she can see the light sheen of sweat on his brow and how the muscles on his arms tense up as he applies more pressure.  
  
The adrenaline kicks in and she can't help but grin. She pushes back just enough to drop low to the ground and roll. She bounces back up to her feet and lures Riku to turn his back to Luma. Just as he does, the sound of crackling can be heard over Luma's command, “Lightning!”  
  
Sam barely catches the hint of a smirk on Riku's countenance before everything is shrouded in a bright light. Quickly throwing up her special barrier, Sam grits her teeth and holds it steady against the wave of electricity that surges throughout the courtyard. She even has to close her eyes briefly. Although as she does she catches the hint of an inky blackness darting away from her.   
  
She chalks it up to seeing things because she's so close to ground zero for the spell. Once the light begins to die she lets her guard down and prepares to attack Riku – wherever he is. On inspection she has to blink to get the dots out of her vision before finally settling on Luma.   
  
“Watch out!”  
  
But it's too late. She can't even cast a spell that will reach the girl in time. Luma spins around from pure instinct and fumbles her block. Riku's blade crashes against hers and the force from it combined with her faulting guard has her dropping to the ground. Before Sam can even blink, those black and blue fire balls are hurling straight for her in an arching motion. She's able to bring up her guard only to have it crack and break under the weight of the magic.   
  
Her knees tremble and her legs buckle, sending her to the ground. Both girls dismiss their Keyblades unwillingly and look toward the victor. He sends his own away and wipes at his brow. “You both did very well. I'll go grab some drinks, so don't move.”  
  
Sam rolls her eyes, “Like we could if we wanted to.”  
  
Riku laughs softly as he begins up the stairs. Once he's gone, Sam manages to pull herself to her feet long enough to walk over to Luma before she plops back down on the ground. She slips her glasses off and wipes at her face with the back of her hand. Beside her, Luma groans and flops onto her back.   
  
“So Sam, how's training with Terra?”  
  
“It's alright. It's just training.” she states as she cleans her glasses and then slips them back on.   
  
Luma rolls over onto her side. “Lucky you. I feel like I just can't figure this magic stuff out. I just...” She sighs. “I wish I could just know it and be done.”  
  
“Are you kidding? After that Thunder spell? That was amazing.”  
  
“You think?”  
  
“Mhm.. and besides, I'm sure Master Aqua isn't frustrated with you. So just let it come out instead of forcing it. Imagine it in your head first. That's what I do.”  
  
“Hm... I guess you're right.” A nervous laugh slips past her lips. “I guess it's just hard to feel like you're doing well compared to a Master.”  
  
“Well you are. If I knew what Riku did to escape that spell I'm sure we would have been able to knock Riku off his feet.”  
  
“Knock me off my feet huh?” He grins down at them and extends a glass to each. He glances between each of them. “Maybe next time ladies. Now just rest for today, I'm sure you both are exhausted.”  
  
 **(_)(_)(_)**  
  
Sam did just that. She stayed with Luma mostly and together they relaxed until dinner. For the most part, it was all rather uneventful compared to training. To the point where Sam is sure her limbs will ache slightly in the morning. Which is exactly why she finds herself sitting out in the training yard on the edge of the platform. Her feet dangle over the side as she gazes out at the dark, cloudy sky. Surely it will rain soon, but she doesn't pay it any mind. She just enjoys the calm atmosphere that settles around her like a warm blanket or a hug from a friend.   
  
Her mind is full of thoughts. Ones that she can't even begin to sort just yet. All she knows is she's sick of thinking and trying to decode everything. Sam sighs heavily and leans back on her hands. Her own feelings are muddled up inside and that's one thing she doesn't dare to touch just yet. Not with the transformation still so fresh and new even days later. It's just too much to take in.  
  
“Hey...”   
  
Immediately she turns around, locking her eyes on none other than Terra. Ceasing to lean back, she mutters a pleasant hello as Terra moves over to her. He sits down beside her; so close that Sam can feel the warmth of his skin on her own. She spares a glance to see only a half an inch – maybe a little more – of distance between their arms.   
  
Terra clears his throat. “I'm, uh, sorry for earlier. I can overreact sometimes.”  
  
Sam raises an eyebrow, “Did Aqua make you come apologize?”  
  
“Actually, she did.” He laughs softly, nervously even. “It wasn't right to do that to you both. And especially not for Riku.”  
  
“It's not a big deal.”  
  
Terra gathers his hands into his lap. “Did you have fun sparring with him at least?”  
  
“Fun?” Sam mulls over the word for a moment. “It was actually very tough. But it was fun in that challenging kind of way.”  
  
“Does that mean you're trading me in for Riku?”  
  
Sam shakes her head, “Only if you run off in the middle of a lesson again.”  
  
Their smirking countenances turn to one another and they laugh. It's comforting and gentle – friendly even. It calms all of the waves crashing against the barriers of Sam's mind. For a moment, she's happy to sit beside him with nothing else bothering them. Sam lets her thoughts die until the only thing she's curious about is the man beside her. She glances to him but keeps her eyes on the horizon. “Did you grow up here?”  
  
“I did. It's not my home world, but it's more so than any other out there.”  
  
“Did you always want... this?”  
  
Terra gently shakes his head. “It doesn't matter. As long as I have my friends I don't mind what I'm doing. Of course, under Master Eraqus; protecting those that can't protect themselves is second most important.” He turns to her, a smile highlighting his lips. “How about you, Sam?”  
  
She swallows hard. Between the heavy question and hearing her name come from his mouth has her distracted and frantic all at the same time. She does the only thing she can think of doing. “Sure, because I've always dreamed of fighting with a giant key.” Terra doesn't so much as chuckle, although surely he would have under different circumstances. The look he gives her has Sam worried. His eyes are full of concern and curiosity. Two things she doesn't need to confront right now.   
  
“I'm going to get ready for bed. Good night.” She says quickly as she tries to excuse herself and hurry to leave.   
  
Lacking any sort of grace, she goes to turn just as Terra stands up and can't seem to get her feet to move. Her left catches on the heel of her right and suddenly everything is falling around her. She feels one foot slide off the edge of the platform and panics. Her arms flail out and Terra grabs onto her. He locks his fingers around her wrists and pulls.   
  
This time she falls forward and ends up pushing Terra to the ground. Nonetheless, he keeps one arm tightly around her even when they hit the ground. Sam's glasses slip from face and land on the grass behind Terra. Flushing instantly, Sam tries her best to get off of Terra before anything else happens – before her brain makes the connection of his hands pressing gently against her lower back.   
  
“Ah. Sorry.” She mumbles as she crawls off of Terra and resumes to sit beside him on her knees. All the while her eyes scan the surroundings, looking for her glasses. After all, they couldn't have gone far.  
  
Terra can only chuckle as he pushes himself up, “We need to stop meeting like this.” One hand rubs at the back of his head while the other grabs at her glasses. He lifts them up and without either of them thinking, he carefully slides them back on and lets them hook behind her ears. As he pulls away he brushes his fingers against the disheveled red hair falling about her face. The gentle smile is more comforting – and frankly handsome – than Sam cares to admit.   
  
Her breath catches in her throat and she can feel the heat spreading from her cheeks to her ears. Everything feels _weird_ and she strangely doesn't want it to stop. It's a good weird. One that has her giving a petite smile in return. Or at least, that is until she realizes just what she's thinking, doing, and feeling. Mentally, she loses it and wants to slap herself.   
  
Sam scurries to get to her feet, “Goodnight!” is all she lets slip out before rushing off to her room.  
  
She doesn't care if she's running nor if he's confused with her departure. She just doesn't want anyone to see what has to obviously be visible on her face. She just _knows_ she has a smile that says something she doesn't realize she could feel. Not so quickly anyways and especially not for Terra. She forces the thought from her mind before it can peak inside. In fact, she doesn't feel safe until she shuts her bedroom door with a definite click.   
  
Only to realize now she's alone with her own thoughts. The ones that don't want to leave her alone.


	7. Chapter 7

The training grounds is quiet; speckled with the sound of the trickling waterfalls in the background. Both Luma and Sam sit at the stone table. The former leans forward in her chair and lays her arms across the table. On the other hand, Sam rests back in her feet with one foot pressing against the lip of the table.

They woke up early and expected to have training again this morning. Instead, Aqua brought it to everyone's attention that a meeting of Master will be held. To discuss what, neither knows. Which is why they wait at the training grounds for the meeting to be over. Not that Sam minds. In all honesty she's happy to have the break from preparing herself to be near Terra. Every time they seem to meet, her heart rate goes up and nothing seems normal.

Of course she knows what it means and why she feels like she could stay with him and never leave. Not that she dares to admit it. To which she usually mentally counters herself that denial is always the first step. In fact, her own thoughts and feelings have kept her up at night to some degree.

Luma lulls her head to the side so she can look at Sam. She notices the look on the redhead's face, although she knows asking will get her no where. Instead she yawns and blinks a few times. "Hey, did you know that Sora, Riku and Kairi all grew up together?"

"Mm... Not that I remember."

"Well, Riku went out training with Terra a few years ago to, as Master Aqua has said, harness the power of darkness. They traveled all over! Just the two of them."

"What do you mean?"

"Huh?"

"Harnessing darkness?"

"Oh right!" Luma sits up slightly, propping her elbows up on the table. "I suppose you haven't been told that much. Keyblade Wielders are to protect the light. But Master Xehanort – one of the previous Masters – did something so that Terra lost control of his darkness. So once he got it back under control and found Riku, he noticed Riku had the same problem." Luma yawns again, briefly covering her mouth before continuing. "So they went and trained, harnessed their power, then came back and Riku passed the Mark of Mastery."

Sam has trouble taking all of the information in. Especially when there's so little detail filling in the holes that punctuate the time line so definitely. It has her wishing she could just find a book that has it all written out. That would be far easier than trying to pluck it from the minds of those that actually know something more.

"And what are you two up to?"

Sam glances over to see Riku striding closer. Luma smiles brightly and gives a brief wave of her hand – effectively dismissing that they had been talking, "Meeting over?"

Riku nods, "Aqua is looking for you actually."

"Ah!" Luma jumps up out of her seat, appearing more awake than ever before. "See ya later Sam!" is all she says before rushing away to find her Master.

This leaves Riku alone with Sam, to which Sam finds it hard not to ask throw questions his way in an effort to figure everything out. His bright blue-green eyes glance her way and it unnerves her how it's as though he can realizes just what she wants to ask. Even more so considering the secret she has carefully tucked away.

Riku leans back against the stone table, almost sitting on it, as he crosses his arms over his chest. "There's nothing wrong with wanting to know more."

"So you heard?"

Riku shakes his head. "The look on your face is enough."

Sam glances away, relaxing further in her seat even though she tenses up with him near. He obviously heard their semi conversation. "Not that easy to find anything out though."

"You're not wrong about that." Riku gives a brief shake of his head. "Terra and Aqua took the Mark of Mastery together. Only Aqua passed. Terra couldn't control his darkness because of the darkness in his heart – spurred on by Master Xehanort."

"And he was?"

"The pupil that trained alongside Terra's Master, Eraqus. Except he strayed from the light and sought to bring out the true Kingdom Hearts through a war and the forging of a special Keyblade."

"Because that makes so much sense."

Riku smirks and continues, "Long story short; Master Xehanort faked his own disappearance. Terra went after him to set things straight and of course Aqua and Ven followed. Once Master Eraqus got wind of this he was right there beside them."

"And they defeated the bad guy and lived happily ever after?"

He chuckles, "More or less."

"I'm sure there's more to it than that."

"I don't even know all of the details," he says with a shrug. "But after that Terra was promoted to Master. He had proven himself."

"So where is this Master Eraqus?"

Riku waves his hand as he pushes away from the table. "He left under Yen Sid's orders. Top secret."

Sam watches as he begins to walk away at the sight of Terra coming out. Riku glances back at her briefly before nodding to Terra and leaving them be. Terra moves straight for Sam with a small smile on his face. She quickly slips out of the chair and to her feet, ready for his first command of the day.

"Today, we'll work on magic."

She nods and hurries over to meet him in the middle of the training area. They both summon their Keyblades. But this time, Terra stays by her side instead of keeping distance between them. The change has Sam nervous for more than one reason.

"Hopefully by the end of today's training you'll be able to control your magic more."

"Ah, coming from the rock that can't handle a little thunder?"

Terra glances down at her with a smirk, "We'll start with Firaga." He holds out his Keyblade and after a moment of summoning up the magic, he sends a large fireball soaring off into the sky. It explodes into a shower of embers as soon as it's out of range of harming anything.

Sam takes a deep breath and holds her own Keyblade out in front of her. She concentrates, but keeps her eyes open and locked onto a particular spot on the horizon. Feeling the magic bubble up inside of her veins, she unleashes it in one fiery burst.

The Firaga hurls straight for where she had been staring. Just as Terra's had done, her's explodes in one large blast – much like a firework. Terra follows it with a Blizzaga. Sam begins to mimic each spell her Master uses; doing so without hesitating or faltering in her magic. It's a dance of magic that has them both draining their power quicker than anyone would in a regular battle. It has them grinning as they let the last one gather up in the sky above them – Magnega.

The array of magic used as the sky lit up with varies hues of color. A rainbow sunset made purely of magic. Terra shakes his head as he dismisses his Keyblade. "I guess you don't really _need_ the training."

"Did I ever?"

He laughs, "How about we call it a day with that? We'll replenish our magic and then see what you're good at it. Everyone has something."

Sam sends Spellbook away, hesitating as she wrings her hands together behind her back. She knows the only way she'll know anything is if she asks the person directly involved. After all, it's something that makes him who he is and she can't just not want to know. Sam takes a deep breath, "Like the power of darkness."

Terra immediately turns his gaze to her, eyes widened just enough to show that she caught him off guard. He shakes his head. "That's not a magic spell. It doesn't apply."

"I _saw_ Riku use it in our training. I know that's what it is. His barrier looked different and so did his Firaga. Not to mention he dodged a spell from point blank with no problem. He basically disappeared. I think it's _something_."

He moves closer to her, intending to walk away but instead places a hand on her shoulder. "There's nothing to concern yourself with. There's no overflow of darkness in your heart. You're safe from that."

Sam shrugs his hand off and takes a step away, glaring up at him with nothing but determination. "I'm just as vulnerable, if not in more danger, by not knowing about it. From what I've figured out, not everyone can harness it. And if something does come up then it would be better to have some sort of knowledge to be able to contain it _immediately_."

A heavy sigh slips past his lips, one that shows he's defeated. He can't argue with her. Especially when he wished that's how open the old Masters had been. That maybe all of the trouble he caused could have been avoided. Terra rubs at the back of his neck. "Alright, you win." He gestures to his heart. "Darkness feeds off of emotions and because of that it's hard to keep in check."

"What's so bad about it? Wouldn't that just make you stronger?"

"It can overcome you. Just like the worlds – like anything – there's a balance. If it tips either way there are bad outcomes that present themselves. When the darkness gets out of hand there's more Heartless." Terra shakes his head. "Too close to the light or to close to the darkness; it doesn't matter."

Sam mulls over this new information. She can't help but think of how bad it makes the dark seem compared to the power of light. Sure it's darkness, but in all of her studies she has never found one to be better than the other. Just as fire and water cancel each other out, light and dark do the same.

She looks up at Terra with her hands finally coming around to clasp in front of her. "There's nothing wrong with the darkness. You should use what you have. Just as someone can take the dark can use it to further a bad cause, they can do the same with light."

He shakes his head once again. "Master Eraqus still thinks otherwise. If I hadn't gotten better control of my own, I doubt Riku would have been welcomed here. It's not easy to have this power."

"It is if you have someone to support you."

And their eyes finally meet. She doesn't back down nor does she waver. She stares back at him with the confidence of a lion defending their pride. The words won't come out, however. She wants to tell him she doesn't mind being the next person to support him. That she _wants_ to be that someone he can count on. That she wants to be the next Aqua in his life. The one he looks to slip away from everything with just a glance.

She wants to thank him and offer a helping hand. Because he helped her when she needed it. Whether it was their meeting that triggered this or not, she just knows she's meant to be right here. Feelings aside, she's happy to stand beside him as he chuckles softly – finally back to himself and far from the sullen disposition he had taken on just seconds prior.

"I suppose you're right Sam."


	8. Chapter 8

After their magic session, they spared until dinner. Of course they took a break in the middle when Luma brought them out snacks and refreshments. All of the work has Sam tired and fulfilled as she makes her way back to her room after a good meal at dinner. Normally she would walk with Luma back to their rooms, but Aqua had called her away. Something Sam is getting used to. Being alone isn't something uncommon for her after all.   
  
Just as she's about to enter her room, footsteps draw her attention back to where she came from. Sora grins at her as he comes to a stop, “Hey Sam. Terra is looking for her. Apparently he has some big news for you.”  
  
“Where is he?”  
  
Sora waves for her to follow and Sam turns to fall in step behind him. “I'll walk you there. I'm going that way to find Riku.” She nods and together they walk through the corridors. Their footsteps are the only thing to echo around them until Sora glances over at her. “Enjoying training under Terra?”  
  
Sam nods, “Yeah.”  
  
The brunet's rich laughter wraps around her and she can't deny that it's comforting. “Riku is just like Terra – strong and over protective. Kairi fell during a mission and scrapped her knee. We though Riku was going to have a heart attack.” He flashes a smile at her. “But, Ven says they're nothing compared to Aqua. Not that Terra gives her a chance.”  
  
“What do you mean?”  
  
“Those three were glued together. Just like Riku, Kairi and me. Until Xehanort came and Terra failed the test. From what Ven says, they almost didn't win against Xehanort. That if Eraqus didn't show up they might not have been able to do it.”  
  
“I didn't know.”  
  
“Yup! So he does everything he can to make sure Aqua doesn't have to leave and go out into the field anymore.” Sora chuckles again. “Not that he can stop Ven.”  
  
She feels strange knowing that Terra cares for her so much – to even put himself in more danger to keep her out of it. In fact, if she dares to admit it, she's a little jealous of their relationship. Terra always seems to look toward Aqua and she wishes he would just pay attention to her. Maybe so that she can be a rock he can lean on. It almost makes her want to sigh. She knows that probably won't happen. Especially after she realizes the thoughts cross her mind. That it's just not how things are.  
  
They turn the corner to come to the large ornate doors leading to the hall where the Masters' rooms are held. Riku is just walking out as they come up to it. He strides straight past them with only a glance over his shoulder. “Sora let's go.”  
  
“Coming!” Sora turns to Sam, “Terra's room is the first door on the right, it's probably open.”   
  
“Thanks Sora.” barely manages to leave her lips before he's sprinting after Riku. She smiles to herself, comforted by the fact that he's so friendly. Even more so than the other Masters. She opens the large door, slips inside, and closes it behind her. Just as she goes to turn around she sees Terra leaving his room. She goes over to him, “You wanted to see me?”  
  
Terra turns to her with a smile, “Good news. We're going on our first mission tomorrow.”  
  
“Already?”  
  
“I think you're ready. Besides, field experience counts more than training.”  
  
She can't help but be happy – proud even – of this news. To know she's come so far so quickly. Part of her can't help but wonder if it's only because of whatever power did this to her. Would she have been able to achieve so much even if she hadn't have had that power touch her so? Did it bestow hidden knowledge that allows her body to simply know how to do all of these things?   
  
Sam shoves each and every one of those ideas out of her mind. Instead she clasps her hands together and nods. “So where are we going then?”  
  
Terra seems to mull over his words. “I haven't decided yet. I was thinking Twilight Town, somewhere simple and quiet to start.”  
  
Unconsciously, Sam lets a small smile grace her lips as the words tumble out before she can stop them. “How fitting, the same place I met you.”  
  
Terra blinks; one, two, three and his eyes narrow in thought. To Sam, she's not sure why he does that. It almost looks like he's angry. The weight of her words falls onto her shoulders like bricks and frankly she just wants to throw up. She can't believe she let it slip out so easily after all of time she's bit them back. Her eyes widen behind her glasses and she can't think fast enough.   
  
Sam takes a step back automatically, more so out of caution than anything. Especially as Terra brings a hand up to the side of his head. She's afraid of what he's going to say. Afraid that he might make the connection and everything will unravel around her faster than she can blink.   
  
“We... met before?”  
  
Which is why she frantically pulls together words, any words, to make an excuse. She has only a few seconds to erase what she's done and the clock is ticking faster than ever.   
  
“Ah... um... no, what I actually meant was-”  
  
Terra's hand slips from his head and his eyes harden. “If I did something to cause you any trouble-”  
  
She knows she can't let him get any further with his thoughts. She has to stop this before he thinks it through. Sam waves her hands in front of her, “No, no! Just, uh, forget I said anything!”   
  
The weak retort has Sam boiling over with regret. She knows she should have told Terra – told them all – everything from the start. In the same breath, it's not like they asked and that's what she has to keep telling herself. The fear of being found out has her body slipping into autopilot. She pivots on her heel and moves to quickly walk away.   
  
But Terra won't have it. He grabs at her wrist and tugs her to a stop after he takes a step to follow her. “Sam, wait. What happened?”  
  
Sam shakes her head, her red tresses swaying from side to side. “Nothing happened.”  
  
“When did we meet?”  
  
His grip on her wrist loosens and she toys with the thought of just making a run for it. Nonetheless, she doesn't get the chance as Terra slips his hand from her wrist only to place it on her shoulder. He turns her back around and Sam can only keep her gaze locked onto the floor.   
  
“Sam, please... you can tell me.”  
  
For a moment she falters. The kind, gentle way his words sooth her has her looking up. Their eyes lock and she can't help but get lost in those bright blue orbs. It's as if they pierce straight through everything to see just her. So she wishes. That everything could be solved with a simple glance and a smile. On the bright side, she's never had him look at her like this and it has her insides churning. And for a second she debates telling him everything.  
  
“Is everything okay?”  
  
The moment shatters and Sam feels her whole world shaking beneath her feet. She doesn't have to turn around to see Aqua standing in the threshold of the corridor. Nor does she have to, to see the way her eyes stare at them with such an intensity that she can feel it. Sam watches as Terra's eyes slip from hers and go over her shoulder, straight to Aqua.   
  
Sam bites the inside of her cheek and uses the distraction to her advantage. She slips away from Terra's grasp and rushes straight for the door. Aqua can't move out of the way fast enough and Sam doesn't bother to wait for her to move. She brushes past her and mutters an apology in her wake. Although she's not even sure if it was heard.   
  
But she can't bother thinking about that now. In fact she can't think at all. She can only run as fast as her feet will carry her around the corners and down the long halls. All she can hear is her heart beat pounding in her ears even as she skids to a stop. Sam shoves the door opens and barrels inside before shutting it with a gentle click – hoping to not alarm anyone.   
  
Her back presses against the door and she slowly slides down to the floor. Her lungs burn and she remembers to take deep breaths to ease the pain. Yet it doesn't even manage to do that. Frustration and fear seems to smother her as she sits there in the dimly light room. More than ever it feels foreign to her and makes it painfully obvious how out of her element she really is.   
  
Plucking her glasses off, she leans her head on her knees while taking shaky breaths. She knows she probably screwed everything up. Surely someone is going to ask questions, he'll probably tell Aqua all about what happened. And if they decide to drag it out of her she knows it'll do her no good to hide in her room. The helpless feeling struggles to wrap around her but she does her best to keep it at bay.   
  
Besides, if her secret is revealed at least she won't have anything to keep secret any more.   
  
“Sam?” Luma's voice sounds small and unsure, a little worried even. “Is everything alright?”  
  
She takes a deep breath, eliminating all traces of doubt from her voice. “I'm fine Luma. Just tired.”  
  
“I, uh, heard you're going on your first mission tomorrow.” Luma hesitates before continuing. “If you need anything, my door is open for you. Just... be safe tomorrow.”  
  
“Thanks, I will.”   
  
Sam strains her ears, paying close attention to the sound of Luma's light footfalls leaving her door. However they're quickly replaced by ones much heavier than Luma's could ever be. A sturdy knock resounds through the wood and makes her body lightly shake. The person on the other side waits a moment before finally sighing. “Be ready to leave after breakfast in the morning.” A heavy pause dots his sentence and Sam wants nothing more than to open the door.   
  
But she doesn't know if she really wants to. She rises to her feet, being as quiet as possible, and presses one hand to the door and the other on the handle. Her fingers are frozen around it, unable to make the door open. The seconds tick away faster than she would have liked and before she knows it, Terra takes a deep breath.  
  
“I'm sorry, Sam.”  
  
His footsteps signal his leave and even once they're gone she still can't open the door. She trembles as she stands there – unable to do anything. He didn't press the matter or drag her out of her room and she realizes that, that doesn't sound like him to begin with. After all he's been through, of course he'd merely apologize. And the pain in her chest makes her whole body shudder.  
  
Because now it feels as though she hurt him in the process.   
  
The only thing she knows now is that tomorrow is going to be a long day. One she doesn't know if she's ready for.


	9. Chapter 9

The following morning was rowdier than usual. Aside from Terra and Sam, each was very lively and supportive of their first mission today. Shortly after breakfast Terra showed her how to use her glider by transforming her Keyblade. To which she had to try several times before it came naturally and she could control it. It was then that Terra informed her that they wouldn't be going to Twilight Town. Instead, an emergency call came from Radiant Gardens and they'll be headed there instead.  
  
It only took them a short while to make the trip through what Terra described as the Lanes Between. Before Sam realizes it they're landing in the lower level in the middle of what appears to be a residential district and a gate leading to what looks like a castle. The magic surges around them and their Keyblade are dismissed. Finally, they come face to face once more.  
  
Terra gestures to the area around them. “This place can be confusing if you don't know where you're going. I'll help locate the Heartless but it'll be up to you to fight them.”  
  
She nods and Terra begins to lead her to the path with the gate. He opens it and ushers her inside. Before her is a large staircase and two more gates; one to her right and one to her left. As they begin up the stairs, Terra's voice falls to quieter tone. “There's a few citizens here who know what we do. Otherwise you'd have to fish for information. Here, you just have to ask the right person.”  
  
The come to the top of the stairs to see two people waiting for them. One is an older looking man with pale blond hair reaching past his shoulders and a short mustache and goatee to match. He dons a periwinkle lab coat over a white collared shirt and dark gray vest. Over his shoulders, as well as a purple ascot, is a long, thick crimson scarf. His bright orange eyes move straight to Terra and only vaguely glance over at Sam.   
  
Beside him is a much younger man with shortly cropped steel-blue hair and long bangs that cover the right side of his face. To which only one bright cerulean eye is visible and it locks on Sam from the moment she comes into view. He's dressed almost identical to the man beside him save for his coat is white and he doesn't have a scarf.   
  
Terra moves straight for the older man, giving a nod to him as he does. “It's good to see you again Ansem the Wise.”  
  
“I only wish it was under better circumstances.”   
  
“Have you sectioned off the area?”  
  
“Yes. I've sent a small task force to contain the Heartless until your arrival. They're being held back in the Outer Gardens.”  
  
As they talk, Sam keeps her eyes going back and forth between Terra and Ansem. Of course she can't help but feel the other man's eyes on her. She glances at him from the corner of her eye and it makes her feel uneasy. As if he knows there's something off about her.  
  
Ansem turns to the man, “Ienzo, what did the system's read out say?”  
  
“There's roughly a dozen if not more. The power level is unusually high compared to normal. I would suggest using caution when approaching them. Would you like for us to send a healer with you?”  
  
Terra shakes his head, “No we'll be fine. Thank you.” He glances to Sam as he turns away from the two men, “Let's go Sam.”  
  
She spares one look over her shoulder before hurrying after Terra, making sure to stay at his side. As they return to where they first landed, Sam spares a glance up at Terra. “They can detect Heartless?”  
  
“Under our guidance, Ansem has gotten a system built that can detect them. But there's still some bugs to work out. Their newer advances allow the computer to send out a program to wound the Heartless and hopefully drive them away.”  
  
“So it doesn't work on tougher ones?”  
  
“More than likely.”  
  
Terra leaders her to the southern exit and through an entry way. She can't help but notice how beautiful and serene the world is. To have Heartless in it should almost be a crime. Then again, it basically is. Through the short entryway has them standing in front of an ornate gate. As they pass through it Sam can see across the small bridge to a large area filled with flowers around a tall fountain.  
  
Sam is pulled backward and to the side by Terra just in time to miss getting knocked down by a man skidding towards the gate. He's huffing, although not extremely so, and his short brown hair sticks to the sides of his face. The brown, buckled belts around his right thigh and left forearm become taut as he shifts his weight to his left leg and lifts a hefty steel blade up.   
  
He aims it at the Heartless in the area before them and takes a deep breath, “Agh!” A fireball surges from the blade after an explosion in the chamber of the hilt. It distracts the creatures long enough for the woman, still in there with them, to run to him. As she skids to a  halt past the gate, she slams it shut.   
  
Her long brown hair sways about her as she turns to the man. Her dark red eyes mirror the smile on her face, “Thanks Leon.”  
  
The lets his sword lower as he gives her a nod. Finally he turns to both Sam and Terra. His misty blue eyes only graze over Sam and instead move straight for her Master. Leon gestures over his shoulder, “More showed up as we were trying to shut the gate.”  
  
Terra shakes his head, “That's alright. You both can go ahead and report back to Ansem, we'll handle this.”  
  
The woman is obviously displeased by this. She steps in front of Leon, making her black top and pants rustle. “You can't possibly do that alone. At least let us-”  
  
“Tifa.” Leon brushes a hand over her shoulder before walking past them all, heading back to Ansem. “Let's go.”  
  
“But-”  
  
“They can handle it.”  
  
Tifa sighs and scoffs, she obviously doesn't want to leave them to do it alone. Not that Sam can blame her. Heartless aren't to be taken lightly, that much she knows for a fact. Finally the woman caves. “Good luck.” she says with a smile before hurrying after Leon.  
  
Terra glances toward Sam as he summons his Keyblade. In response, Sam does the same. “Come take a look before we go inside. Preparation is key.” They approach the gate and before daring to open it, Sam makes sure to scan the area completely.   
  
There are thirteen Armored Knights closest to the gate. Their swords are held at the ready beside their thin, humanoid bodies while their yellow eyes glow under the guise of a helmet. Behind them are three larger Heartless; known as Morning Stars. Their large, spherical bodies are encased in green and yellow armor with black spikes covering the surface. Barely holding it up are tiny legs and two flailing arms.   
  
Further beyond those is one Heartless floating far off the ground. It's rather unimpressive compared to the others with it's smooth body in the shape of a cone. A cyan pattern swirls about the white base and darkens into navy where the collar flares out around its black head. The bright yellow eyes stare at them from under the blue and white hat with its curled tip. Two little feet dangle from the bottom of the Heartless, obviously useless.   
  
“That's not good.”  
  
Sam glances over to her Master, “What is it?”  
  
“That floating Heartless, the Spring Metal. You're not strong enough for that one. Leave that one to me and you handle the rest.”  
  
She can't help but be surprised despite already knowing she would have to handle a ground. Then again, thirteen enemies sure is a lot to deal with regardless. Sam takes a deep breath and nods confidently, “Understood.”  
  
The Heartless take quick notice of them as they enter the Outer Gardens, letting the gate swing shut behind them. The nearest Morning Star sucks its legs and arms inside of itself and sways slightly. The next thing Sam knows, it's launching itself into the air and hurling down to where they're standing. Terra surges for the Spring Metal, hoping to take it out before things get dangerous. Leaving Sam to lurch to the right and fall into a roll before springing back up to her feet.  
  
The remaining two Morning Stars gather in front of the Spring Metal, guarding it from Terra's wrath. While he tries to break through their defenses, Sam is faced with thirteen Armored Knights rushing toward her. The circle around her with no problem and destroy any hopes of escape.   
  
One slashes at her and she dodges to the side, missing it by a hair. She knocks it away with her Keyblade and counterattacks, slamming the teeth of her blade against its back. The Heartless tumbles into another while three more attempt the save attack style. Just before the blades threaten to nick her skin, Sam sends up her barrier.  
  
Light speckles around her and then explodes, sending those close enough to her out of the circle of enemies. She takes a deep breath and calls forth a spell of Thundara. The bolt crashes into the Heartless in front of her while the shock wave paralyzes those closest to it. An Armored Knight behind her drops into a spin rush, sailing towards her with an unrelenting thirst.   
  
Sam pivots on her heel and slams her Keyblade against its blade. Grunting under the pressure, she pushes her strength back at it and shoves it away. She moves quickly in an effort to keep up with the rest of them. Three begin to lunge toward her and she does the only thing she can think of.   
  
Flames swirl about her, encircling her waist like a halo. They die down just before the Heartless land their blows. The second their swords touch the fire they're consumed in the inferno that erupts outward in one large wave. The attack, however, leaves Sam feeling more drained than when she had dared to use Thundara.   
  
She scans the area and notices she took out three in the blast, making it worth the effort. Even if she's unsure what that spell even was. She notices the opening her attack has caused and that only one Armored Knight stands in her way from getting out of the focused attack circle. She runs straight for it and parries it's simple slash before running her Keyblade through it. Along with the others she defeated, it vanishes in a puff of black mist.  
  
Spinning around, she takes a deep breath and steels herself. The Morning Star by the gate seems to not be bothered with her attempts to defeat its comrades. It swivels away from her and begins to move for Terra. She refuses to let that happen. Drawing up her Keyblade, she sends a small Fire spell hurling towards it – just enough to get it's attention. It's then that she dares to see if he's defeated that Spring Metal. She's taken by surprise to see that he's having trouble.   
  
Even as he dodges the small tornado the surges up around the Spring Metal, the Morning Stars begin to attack. They both turn their tiny arms into spiked maces. One begins with a punch toward Terra. To which he has to throw up guard at the last second. The attack bounces off and the stunned Morning Star moves backward. The other is already sweeping in to attack now that Terra's guard is coming down.   
  
But he won't be having it. Terra cloaks himself in darkness and charges the Morning Star head on – as if it's a battle of wills of who will stop their attack first. However, Terra doesn't plan to stop. His outstretched Keyblade slams into the Morning Star's mace and he uses the leverage of his strength and the darkness to slash completely through it; leaving only a dark haze in his wake.   
  
The second his feet hit the ground, he turns around as if sensing that Sam is looking his way. Their eyes lock and for a moment she's comforted by the confident sheen in his eyes. That is until his lips part and everything falls into a state of slow motion – one where she can't move nor react fast enough.   
  
Terra's eyes widen and he reaches out to her with one hand, as if he could reach despite being so far away. His brows knit together as he yells at her, “Sam look out!”  
  
The words click, although painfully slow, into her mind. It's then that she realizes in just those few seconds she dared to spare, she left herself wide open. Her eyes turn back to the enemies before her. All of the Armored Knights seem to part for the one Morning Star she had dared to hit with that magic. Even though it truly has no eyes, she knows it's aiming straight for her now.   
  
“Move!”  
  
But the words go unheeded, the enemy is already to close. The arms and legs are pulled inside of the body and it's kicked up off the ground to pivot on a single point on the bottom. It spins toward her, although not making a straight. It veers off to the right and left once or twice before she finds it barreling towards her with nothing but relentless force. Even from a foot away she can feel the wind from its attack on her face.  
  
The only thing she has time to do, the only instinct she summons up, is to throw up her Keyblade to desperately shield her head from the blast.


	10. Chapter 10

Her feet try to plaster to the ground, to keep her from moving. But the Morning Star's attack is far stronger than she can handle without the help of a barrier. The spikes from the mace of its hand threatens to push closer to her and before they dare to graze her body, she lets go of all her strength. The mace continues its swing and sends Sam flying backwards.   
  
“Aah!”  
  
The cry rips from her throat as she hits the ground, bouncing slightly while her Keyblade slips from her grasp. Shock waves of pain thunder through her body and she wishes it would just stop. She can't even manage to get up yet. All she can do is lean on her left arm and prop herself up the best she can. Her breath comes out in ragged pants as she tries to get her head to stop throbbing and spinning all at the same time. Her eyes glance about the area in search of her Keyblade. But she doesn't find it or rather she can't find the need to worry about it.   
  
“Sam, are you okay?”  
  
She looks from the Morning Star to Terra and her eyes widen. She wants to warn him, save him from what is about to happen. But she can't make a sound. Her lips part yet nothing comes out. Sam can only stare at the Spring Metal floating behind Terra as a tornado begins to brew with it being the eye of the storm. Her breath catches in her throat as the other Morning Star pulls its tiny arms inside like the other and extends his arms with the maces on the end. It hobbles closer to Terra before winding one back and slinging it towards him.   
  
Terra has better senses than she thought. Even still, his guard does nothing but keep the damage to a minimum. He grits his teeth as he's sent skidding backward and straight into the tornado that's getting larger by the second. Terra is caught in the blast and is sent flying up into the air from the sheer force of the wind. A second later he plummets back to the ground and hits it with a sickening thud. One that has Sam horrified to the point where her blood runs cold at first.  
  
That is until she sees the Spring Metal preparing for another attack and the Morning Star backing off to slip into a spinning stance. Sam shoves herself up to her feet and summons her Keyblade back into her grasp. She slashes at the Armored Knight running forward her and jumps up, using it as a spring board. The extra leverage has her closer to Terra when she hits the ground running.  
  
The Morning Star seems to lock onto her, not pleased that she's going to interfere. She notices it out of peripheral and spins around. Her Keyblade draws up just as the Morning Star spins toward her and slams into her guard. This throws her backward as it comes to a stop. She falls near Terra but quickly drops into a roll and launches back up onto her feet. Glancing to the right she notices the Spring Metal is about to launch an attack. Without thinking she throws her arm to the side, pointing Spellbook straight at the Heartless and sending out a Thundara spell. It zaps against the Spring Metal and dazes it, giving both Terra and Sam just enough time to gather themselves.  
  
Sam hurries over to him and extends a hand and helps him up. Terra takes in their situation and realizes that this is far from an appropriate training mission. The Spring Metal behind them is still struggling to straighten itself out of the paralyzation the lightning strike caused. However, the two Morning Stars and six Armored Knights aren't having any trouble at all.  
  
Terra glances over to her, “Follow my attack.”  
  
She nods and the second he takes note of it, he's running off to the closest Morning Star. The end of his Keyblade swings up and slashes across the Heartless' front before Terra brings it back down. As he jumps past it to start slashing at the Armored Knights that have gotten too close, she launches a Blizzard spell before stabbing at it. The large Heartless vanishes and she runs toward Terra as well as putting safe distance between them and the Spring Metal.   
  
He swings his Keyblade in an upward swipe, jumping at the last second. The Armored Knight is flung back down to the ground and a second later Terra's Keyblade collides with it, sending a shock wave of energy and spikes of earth throwing two others back and destroying the one. Sam summons a Magnet spell that pulls together remaining three that dare to surge toward Terra. The smash together as the spell gradually inflicts small bouts of damage.   
  
Sam runs up beside Terra only for him to throw out his arm, keeping her behind him. A second later he throws up his Keyblade in a guard as the last Morning Star bounces off of it. She runs forward once Terra lets down his guard; slashing in a four strike combo against the Heartless. Just as she jumps backward Terra dashes through it in a dark haze, destroying it.  
  
As Terra rights himself, Sam is already swiveling back around on her heel. Her barrier comes to life and blocks the attacks by the Armored Knights. The counterattack of light destroys only one of them and sends the rest skidding backward. Terra runs by her and swings his Keyblade while turning partly. The barreling slash destroys two more and just as Terra prepares to take out the remaining two, a large Fira swirls by him and does the job first. He glances back with an approving smile before nodding for her to join him as they turn all their attention to the Spring Metal.   
  
Terra rushes in first and takes advantage of the fact that it's hovering closer to the ground. He does an upper slash that has large bouts of earth coming up and smacking against the Spring Metal. As he jumps up into the air, preparing to slash back down, Sam readies a Fira spell that slams into the ground below the Heartless. The Fira creates a small explosion that has the Heartless dazed and struggling to kick up a tornado to defend itself.   
  
But it's too late. Terra is already sailing back down. His Keyblade slashes against the Heartless and destroys any hopes it had of trying to fight back. Just as Terra's feet hit the ground, Sam is jumping up in a spinning slash to finish it off. By the time her feet touch back down the Spring Metal is no more. They catch their breath and brush themselves off. They ache and surely need a Cure or two to make things bearable on their burning muscles.   
  
Yet when they turn to each other there's nothing but smiles on their faces. Terra chuckles, “You handled that pretty well.”  
  
Her grin mirrors his own or at least until he plops onto the ground. Sam rushes over to him and sends out a Cure. The green light falls over him and begins to patch up any small scraps and make his body ache less. She laughs, “I guess we're even now. Those were a lot bigger than the normal big-headed rats though.”  
  
Terra stares up at her and Sam isn't sure if it's with worry or not. Either way she knows that her words surely brought their argument back to his mind as it did hers. She's never fought Shadows around him and that's the only telling sign. Especially as she watches it slowly click inside his mind. Sam hurries to think of something as she takes a step back to allow him to stand. But she can't think of anything and Terra seems to be caught in deep thinking, even as he looks up at her.  
  
“Who are you?”  
  
The look on his face is one she can't discern between. It's caught in between anger and confusion – possibly frustration. She simply doesn't know what to do and it frightens her. Even more so that she can't grasp at anything good that can come from this. Sam takes another step away from him as he quickly rises to his feet. “I... I'm-”  
  
“Sam.” His strong tone silence her, makes her feel as though she's tinier than any bug. He steps closer to her with slightly narrowed eyes. “Who _are_ you?”


	11. Chapter 11

Sam fumbles over her words while her tongue feels like lead in her mouth. “I... uh... My name is Sam.”  
  
“I know that,” he retorts as he crosses his arms.   
  
She unsure of what to do. She knows she has to tell him something, anything. Especially as she stares at her, expecting a very good answer for what is going on. Sam takes a deep breath and tries to calm down. “I'm from Twilight Town. I... er... used to work at a library. I studied up on everything I could find. The only thing I didn't know about where the Heartless. They were like a myth.”  
  
Terra waits, nodding briefly to signal her to go on.   
  
“Heartless is something the older people ramble about. They told me all I could find out. But then there you were, literally falling from the sky.” At this, Sam stops for a moment to observe Terra's reaction. He's quiet, quieter than usual, and his arms stay tightly crossed. She honestly doesn't know if she should even keep going. The only thing that calms her is the comforting weight of the Keyblade in her grasp. “I... I just wanted to be like you.” Sam waves her free hand, “N-Not you, but your life. The adventure and-”  
  
“That's enough.”   
  
She watches as Terra rubs at his face. Everything seems lost to her as she gazes hopefully at him. Her heart hurts to even think he doesn't like her. That he doesn't want anything to do with her now. Sam can only hope that he understands. Because she's barely just begun to understand it herself. “Terra, I-”  
  
“We need to get back to Aqua.”  
  
Aqua. That means going back to the Land of Departure – means that he might know what's wrong with her, how this happened. And he might reverse it. She just can't handle not ever being near him again because she likes him, she truly cares about what he thinks. It frightens her to death to think that everything will be gone and she might never get to see him again. Right now she has the power to travel to him if she wants to be near him and she refuses to give that up.   
  
Sam brings her hand up and smashes her palm against the amethyst broach on her hip. The glider flashes into life and a second later she's gone. Before Terra can do anything she's left the world and he can do nothing but stare after her for a moment.  
  
 **(_)(_)(_)**  
  
She doesn't know why she came to Twilight Town off of instinct, but it is home after all. Even still she can't get anywhere other than the train station. Sam lets a sigh slip from her lips as she leans her elbows on her crossed legs. Resting her face on her hands, she tries to calm down.   
  
Sam is beyond happy to be home, to be back in some place that she knows like the back of her hand. But she's stuck sitting against the edge of the stairs, hidden from view, after realizing she has no money whatsoever. If she had thought it out further she would have flown straight to her home. Not that she knows if she can. It's all so new and frustrating still in so many ways.   
  
On top of it, she's upset with the whole situation. Her feelings are twisting around inside of her, begging her to go back and explain things to Terra properly. She knows she can't, she's too afraid to cross that line. Not after he planned to take her back to Aqua. She can only imagine what would have happened. Yet in the same breath she craves for nothing more than to see his comforting smile. After all, she knows she likes him – more than she probably should.  
  
Before any of this happened she hadn't even thought about love. It was something she never paid any attention to whatsoever. Sure, it would cross her mind occasionally before lying down at night. But none of it matters. Everything is different now and all she cares about is Terra and being able to continue this life. She doesn't want to go back. Because here is where she feels like she's supposed to be. Right where the love she found at her feet even if it makes her feel like she's going crazy.   
  
She lifts her head enough to move her arms and draw her knees up. Sam wraps her arms around her legs and rest her head on her knees as tears prickle at the corners of her eyes. More than anything she feels stupid for running and hopes he doesn't feel different about her doing so. Especially since she hates that she didn't stay and think calmly about all of this. Sam scoffs at herself over the sob building in her throat.   
  
If there's any good from this, she's home at least.  
  
“Hey, don't cry.”  
  
Sam looks up, surprised that anyone has seen her and even bothers to speak to her. The man before her is tall and even a little lanky. He has crimson hair that spikes down over his shoulders and out of the way of his bright green eyes. She finds it strange that he dons a long, black cloak with a zipper down the middle. It's partially done up to where she can just see the dark beige pants, orange jacket and white shirt beneath it. She watches his hand as it's extended to her.   
  
“I wasn't crying.” She states confidently as she gratefully takes his hand and he helps her up. “Thank you.”  
  
The man chuckles and reaches for her face only to pull off her glasses with a gentleness that surprises her. He brings up his shirt from under the layers and wipes them off. Only then does she realize they must have fallen and she begins to wipe at her eyes – eliminating all traces of tears. He hands them back, “Now you aren't.”  
  
She takes them with a mumbled thank you, one that surely goes unheard. He rubs at the back of his head, “So what's wrong?” Sam looks away from him, uneasy telling a stranger her personal business just like that. Even if he's nice. He chuckles, “Come on, let me help ya.”  
  
Her mind is quick to come up with a solution. “It's alright, you've helped enough.”   
  
“There has to be some reason why you're sitting outside here. Do you have enough money?” His hands come up to cross over his chest. “I can't just leave a pretty girl out here all alone like that.”  
  
She wants to laugh or possibly tell him how weird this all is. But instead she keeps her lips sealed on that matter. Instead she sighs, letting it seem as real as possible. She adjusts the glasses on her face, a good reason to avoid eye contact for the moment. “You've caught me. I'm just a little shy of getting a ride to the other part of town.”  
  
He uncrosses his arms and waves a hand. “That's all? Well then, come on.” He reaches out and grabs her hand the instant it leaves her glasses. Pulling her into the train station, he only lets go once he's speaking to the older man behind the counter. “One ticket please, to the other side of town.” A hand delves into his pocket and he hands the man the money before turning back to Sam with the ticket in hand.   
  
Once again his hand clasps around hers and he leads her to the orange colored train that whistles, signaling it'll be leaving soon. He turns toward her, letting go of her hand in the process, and holds out the ticket. “Here you go.”   
  
Sam takes it and clasps it tightly in her hands. She takes a few steps closer to the train before turning back to him. “Why?”  
  
The man laughs and once again gives a wave of his hand. “Well, that's what heroes do right?” He laughs again as the words leave his lips. “Besides, we have to help each other out – right Sam?”  
  
Her eyes widen at the sound of her name on his lips, “How... How do you know my name?”  
  
“Oh that? Ven told me all about you when we met up earlier.” He gives a wink, “We come back to enjoy some Sea Salt Ice Cream on top of the clock tower. It's a secret though, so keep it between us.” He mulls over that for a moment before adding in, “I mean, you can take someone there if you want. Just be careful. It's a long fall.”  
  
Sam shakes her head. She hadn't even thought of the fact that there are other Keyblade Wielders out there that don't stay at the Land of Departure. Or perhaps he's Ventus' pupil... She lets the idea slip away as his hand claps onto her shoulder. “Take it easy alright?” He takes a step back and shoves his hands into the pockets of his pants. “The name's Lea. Got it memorized?”  
  
“I do now,” she replies with a bit of amusement laced in her words. “Ah, how do I pay you back?”  
  
Lea waves her off and pivots on his heel, intending to leave. “Don't worry about it.”  
  
She takes a step back onto the train beyond the doors, “Thank you!” But he's already moving away from her without another word. The doors slide shut and she takes another step back. The seats are all empty and she's more than happy about it. The stores have yet to close, therefore no one is on their way home just yet. She takes a seat and slumps against it, staring out the window across from her.   
  
It's strange that another Keyblade Wielder comes to Twilight Town just in time to notice her. Part of her almost wants to speculate but there's no way Terra could have gotten back to the Land of Departure, summoned Lea and sent him off. Especially since he could simply come himself. Unless he doesn't want to see her.   
  
She knows she has to go back sometime. For right now, however, she simply wants to go home and sleep in her own bed. Surely no one has touched her residence nor decided that there's anything fishy going on. She did go unseen by her handful of friends for quite a few days at a time. Not that she'll have any clothes to wear to bed, but that she realizes she can deal with when the time comes.  
  
Eyes locking onto the blue sky outside the window, she can't help but think of Terra. She's not particularly sure when her heart started to betray her. In all honesty, she wants to assume it was during their very first meeting when he found himself a place in her mind and heart. But now that she's like this and has been able to spend so much time with him – get to know him – she's sad that she's chosen to be away from him. She's afraid she's lost his trust, because that is harder to gain back than anything else.  
  
Sam sighs just as the train comes to a stop. The doors open as the whistle blows and she hurries to get off. Her hair sways about her as a breeze passes by. It's comfortable on her skin and she's happy she decided to come back here regardless of everything else. She walks off the platform and down the steps, eager to get closer to home. Despite the sky beginning to turn several shades of pink and orange after the lengthy train ride, there's still quite a few residents out and about.  
  
As she strides through the street she notices the strange glances they send her. She knows why, of course, and it's because they don't know her. Even though she feels so familiar around them, they feel the opposite to her. They don't approach her and yet she has no problems with that. After all, nothing is different in that respect. To save them both the looks, she turns down an alley that will take her home faster.


	12. Chapter 12

Despite the relative unease from being separated from her dear Master and the one she holds feelings for, Sam enjoys the peaceful walk through the back alleys to get to her apartment. It lets her clear her mind and try to calm down. After all, she can deal with what is to come tomorrow and gather her thoughts tonight.   
  
As she turns the last corner with the back door to the apartments at least two tram lengths away, a foreboding shiver travels up her spine. The hair on the back of her neck stands up and her instincts yell at her to move. She runs forward three steps and skids to a halt, her heels planting firmly against the ground. The gentle sounds of Heartless spawning around her is more menacing than it lets on.   
  
She glances out of her peripherals then sweeps her gaze over the Heartless before her. They have her completely surrounded but even so they're only low leveled ones compared to those she fought earlier. These are merely a bunch of Shadows and Soldiers fighting to get their claws into her. Even so, her body still aches slightly from the previous battle and she feels sluggish – in more way than one. The situation reminds her of Terra – of how he saved her the last time this happen under a similar circumstance. But she knows he surely won't come and that has her disappointed.   
  
Yet being surrounded forces her to summon her Keyblade. Spellbook flashes into her grasp and she readies it; tightening her fingers around the hilt. She surges forward and slams the teeth down onto a Shadow's head, making it's little arms flail at her with sharp claws. She shakes her head at the pointless attempt and prepares to produce a second strike.   
  
But she's not focused on her surroundings and she doesn't notice the incoming attack until it's too late. The Soldier, who had kicked up into a spinning attack, slams into her back with such a force that she stumbles over the Shadow and falls to the ground. Spellbook falls from her grasp and slides away. Sam can't help but let the small cry rip from her throat as she hits the hard stone; the force reverberating up through her already weary limbs.   
  
On her knees, Sam leans all her weight on one hand while turning her body just enough for her to point her other arm out towards the Heartless clambering towards her. She wills for her Keyblade and it returns to her hand just in time for the spell to well up and absorb the remainder of her magic, “Gather!”  
  
It takes all of her will to send the Magnet spell out far enough, yet still close, to draw the Heartless away from her and up into the sphere of glowing gravity magic. She tries to push herself up only to fall onto her rear with her Keyblade clanging against the ground. She's just too exhausted from it all – from everything.   
  
Just as she is about to blink, take a deep breath, and shove herself to her feet, she stops. There's no cry or sound that comes before hand to even warn her of what's about to happen. All she knows is her eyes stay locked onto those Heartless as they spin around, caught in the spell, and how a large Keyblade slashes through them. Each and every one of them vanishes along with the spell as the man of the hour stands up.   
  
Sam is mystified. It's just like before and she's having trouble catching her breath. She stares at Terra as he strides over to her with a different expression than when she had left him. He's relieved as he rushes over to her. He casts a Curaga spell before dismissing his Keyblade. By the time he's going to help her up to her feet she's dismissed hers as well and the warm green glow has healed her scrapes and bruises. He takes a step back and sighs, staring at her. She tries not to stare back and instead focuses on brushing herself off and adjusting her glasses from where they sit. Although, she can't help but take a subconscious step backward.  
  
Terra gestures wildly with one arm, “Are you an idiot? What were you thinking? You don't just run off without healing – without your partner! You could have...” He takes a deep breath and seems to somber up after getting that off his chest and scolding her. “Don't ever do that again.”  
  
She knows she's hurt him by what she's done. She just doesn't know what the look on his face means right now and it's frustrating not being able to decode him. Although, to have him calm down so suddenly has her wondering even further. Even so, she doesn't dare to meet his eyes and lets her words come out soft and cautious. “How did you find me?”  
  
He crosses his arms, “I was lucky to run into someone that knew who you were. And that fool actually paid for your ride.” Terra uncrosses his arms and brings a hand up to rub at his temple, proceeding to mutter to himself, “Ven really needs to keep up with him better. Ha... this is a mess.”  
  
Lea is the only person that comes to mind. She hadn't thought the two would cross paths so quickly. But she's very grateful that Lea told him about what he did for her in so many ways. On the other hand, it's proving difficult to face her Master with such feelings bubbling up to the surface. She wishes she could just let it all come out so that neither has a thing the other doesn't know. Sam bows her head, “I'm sorry I caused you trouble.”   
  
“You...” Terra shakes his head. “Why didn't you say something sooner?”  
  
Her eyes stay locked onto her feet, making it easier for her words to come out more naturally. “Would you believe me if I said I made a wish on a star and woke up the next morning like this?” She gestures to herself while finally looks up at him.  
  
Only to find that he chuckles softly. “Well, you have a point. Stranger things have happened though.”  
  
Those words are priceless to her ears. They mean more than she could have ever hoped for – although there's more words she'd give anything to hear come from him. Still, she can't believe he's so accepting of her. That he brushes off this strange predicament with a chortle and a gentle smile. It blows her away and she's not sure what to say.   
  
Although Terra seems to take it as though he's offended her. He waves a hand defensively, “Would you like to start over?”  
  
Sam chews on the idea for only a moment. It doesn't take her long to weigh the pros and cons of such a decision. After all, their relationship is based around this; grows around it, builds upon it, and flourishes from it. She can't ask that of him no matter what would be easier. She shakes her head back and forth, “No. I'm fine.” Nervous, she brings a hand up to hold onto her other arm as it hangs by her side and glances away from his gaze. “What happens now?”  
  
Terra walks up to her and brushes his hand over her cheek before cupping it in the palm of his hand. It's such a gentle act that Sam can't even react as he lifts her face up for their eyes to lock once more. All she can do is lean unconsciously into the touch. Terra smiles at her, “We relax. That was a tough mission.” He nods to the direction she was headed in the first place. “Where were you headed?”  
  
Remembering that she was going somewhere originally, she snaps out of the pleasant sensation and pulls away. Slightly flushed, she turns to the side. She gestures to the building just off in the distance. “Ah, back to my old home.”  
  
“Old home?”  
  
She glances about and gets even more flustered having to admit it. But she's happy she can, even prideful about it. “My home is with you.” Her brain mentally kicks her for stopping there. She stumbles over the remainder that should had followed it, “-and everyone else.”  
  
He merely smiles at her in a way that reassures her that she didn't have to tack that onto her explanation. It's the one time she thinks she knows what's going through his thoughts. He reaches out and brushes some of the bright crimson hair away from her face. Tucking it behind her ear, he slides his fingers down and lets the strands hang over his raised hand. Sam glances down, wondering what he's doing, only to look back up and have his lips pecking hers.   
  
Pulling away, he lets a sly grin work itself onto his countenance, “I'm happy to hear that.”  
  
The blush that surges up her neck and over her cheeks nearly touches her ears at that. She can barely hold it back and does the only thing she can think of. She spins around and begins to walk away, silently telling him to follow her if he wants. She's going to visit her old home after all and she can't face him at the moment to top it off. Not while her lips still tingle from chaste touch – one that despite being so quick has her face aflame and her heart beating loud in her ears.   
  
Terra hurries to catch up with her and he does so easily. He grabs her hand and clasps their palms together. Sam slows her pace down to a stroll and dares to twine her fingers with his. She guides him straight to the door of the building. While she's hesitant to show him a side of her – her old life – she's more than ready to have him accept it.  
  
 **(_)(_)(_)**  
  
Sam's lashes flutter against her skin as she dares to wake from her slumber. Everything about this waking has her calm and happy, to say the least. The warmth of the sun that peaks through the curtains falls onto her like a thin sheet. It warms her and drags her out from under the clutches of sleep. As much as she'd love to roll over and continue doing so, she knows what awaits her is far more pleasant to be around.   
  
At that thought her eyes fly open. The thoughts and memories bombard the forefront of her mind to the point where she lets a small groan slip over her lips. She slowly pushes herself up into a sitting position. The blanket slips from her body and she hurries to bring it back up and clutch it to her body. She glances around, squinting more or less, in search of her glasses.   
  
She just _can't_ remember where Terra put them. Not that they could have gone far. She sighs and instead brings a hand up to comb through her hair. Trying to tame it, she pushes the strands out of her face and yawns. Which results in her rubbing at her eyes after shielding her mouth with the back of her hand. That's when it finally – _truly_ – hits her. _Terra_.  
  
“I was just about to get you up. We should probably head back or Aqua will have my head over worrying about your safety.” Terra chuckles at the thought, “There's no telling what conclusion she'll jump to by the time we get there.”  
  
Sam's eyes go wide and her fingers tighten on the blanket, trying to secure it tightly around her slender frame. She gives an extra tug to wrap it over one shoulder to fully hide her chest. Even though she's happy to see him, she can't help but glare. “W- What are you doing?!”  
  
Terra continues to adjust the red straps that snap tightly over his skin-tight shirt. She can't help but let her eyes slip away to roam, watching where his hands go. Which is surely why Terra grins back at her. “Getting dressed. You should be too.”  
  
She cuts her eyes over to the window despite how bright the light seems now. “Then get out.”  
  
“You weren't that shy last night.”  
  
The pang that shakes her body like a gong has her eyes slowly meeting with his once more. She can't stop the words that slip out and she's not sorry for it either. The sarcastic tone is speckled with a playful air, one that has Terra holding that grin steady, “I can't say the same to you.”  
  
Terra lifts his hands before him in a mock surrender. “Fine, fine. You win. Just don't take too long.”  
  
The second he's out of the threshold and shutting the door behind him, Sam flops back onto the bed. The sheet settles around her and her hair fans out about her head. The thought of having to hurry and had back is daunting to say the least. She had wanted to pack at least a few things to take with her. Even though Terra assured her they'd be coming back and she doesn't have to give up her apartment; that it would be good to have a safe house other than at the Land of Departure. She closes her eyes and takes a deep breath.   
  
She's ready to move forward; more so to get up and get dressed before she gets cold under just the blanket. But she can't help the smile that worms its way onto her face. After all, everything worked out just like it should and whether or not it's for the better – it doesn't matter. She wanted this – _wished_ – for this and she finally believes she's ready to grasp at it with both hands... with Terra at her side through it all.


End file.
